The "60 Minutes" correspondent who interviewed Kamala Harris reportedly grew emotional at a staff meeting Wednesday held after Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit in which President Donald Trump alleged that the interview was deceptively edited, according to journalist Oliver Darcy.
Bill Whitaker, 73, appeared "teary-eyed" and "quite somber" in the meeting as he addressed his colleagues.
Correspondents Lesley Stahl and Sharyn Alfonsi also voiced frustration and dismay that the payout had been made.
Paramount, which owns CBS, said the money will go to Trump's future presidential library and to pay his legal fees, and it is not apologizing or expressing regret about the story. The company announced the deal overnight, before a Wednesday morning shareholders meeting.
Journalists were infuriated and a senator wants to investigate whether bribery laws were broken. The company was hoping to put the issue to rest as it seeks administration approval of a merger.
Trump's lawyers argued he suffered "mental anguish" following the "60 Minutes" interview in October with his opponent in the 2024 presidential election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, and sued for $20 billion.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.