Liberal comedian Rosie O'Donnell accused CBS of "capitulating" to President Donald Trump on Monday during "The View" co-host Ana Navarro's podcast, saying the network's $16 million settlement of his "60 Minutes" lawsuit was a "bribe" that undermined an independent press.Appearing on "Bleep! with Ana Navarro," O'Donnell invoked former CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, who used similar language while criticizing the agreement on his show last year."[CBS] capitulated.They did exactly what Stephen Colbert said they did," O’Donnell said.
"They gave him a bribe and it’s unforgivable."ROSIE O'DONNELL CLAIMS TRUMP HAS 'PTSD RESPONSE' TO HER AS BACKLASH ERUPTSRosie O’Donnell accused CBS of "capitulating" to President Donald Trump over its $16 million settlement of his "60 Minutes" lawsuit.(Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)O'Donnell said the agreement demonstrated why she believed the country no longer had a sufficiently independent media establishment to scrutinize the government."We need a very vibrant, alive, independent media," O’Donnell said.
"And we no longer have it in this country."The CBS case concerned the network's editing of an October 2024 "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.Trump accused CBS of deceptively editing Harris' answer about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to benefit her before the presidential election.Paramount Global and CBS settled the lawsuit in July 2025 for $16 million, covering legal costs and a contribution to Trump's future presidential library or charitable causes.
The agreement contained no apology or admission of journalistic wrongdoing, and no money was paid directly to Trump.Trump’s legal team portrayed the settlement as a victory over the media."CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle," a Trump legal spokesperson said at the time.SHARYN ALFONSI OUT AT ’60 MINUTES' AFTER FEUD WITH BARI WEISS, RIPS CBS FOR ‘CHILLIN...