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10:05 10.10.2026 •
The mounting battle to purchase one of Hollywood’s biggest prizes — Warner Bros. Discovery — has captured President Donald Trump’s attention as he sees his own interests entwined in the transaction and appears poised to try to influence its outcome, CNN reports.
Trump declared he’d be “involved” in the regulatory decisions on whether to allow a proposed sale of the company to Netflix, which announced a $72 billion deal to buy a large part of Warner Bros. Discovery last week. Ordinarily such decisions are kept at arm’s length from the White House.
The next morning, a rival company, Paramount, launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, citing in part a “challenging regulatory approval process” for Netflix to get its deal approved.
Trump avoided taking sides when pressed on the developments a few hours later.
“None of them are particularly great friends of mine,” Trump said from the Cabinet Room at the White House. “I want to do what’s right. It’s very important to do what’s right.”
By offering a noncommittal stance while still assuming personal responsibility for the outcome, Trump was placing himself squarely at the center of a transaction that could reshape the American moviemaking and news businesses.
Despite claiming none of the players were his friends, Trump is close with billionaire Larry Ellison, whose son, David, became the chief executive of Paramount this year through a merger with his smaller company, Skydance Media. A senior White House official said the elder Ellison and Trump had discussed the prospect of a Paramount acquisition.
In the fine print of its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Paramount revealed Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is involved in the company’s takeover efforts as a financial backer through his private equity firm (Trump said he’d never discussed the matter with Kushner).
The long-awaited $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery has cleared its final legal hurdle. A federal judge approved a settlement resolving antitrust challenges.
The decision paves the way for one of the largest media mergers in recent years which will bring together CNN, CBS News, HBO Max, Paramount+, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures, MTV and Discovery under a single company. The merger comes amid President Donald Trump's repeated criticism of CNN over its coverage.
Social media users claimed the merger would place CNN under the ownership of “Trump donors.”
The combined company will merge several major entertainment brands and streaming services, including HBO Max and Paramount+.
It will also combine the news operations of CNN and CBS News under the same corporate parent.
One of the most closely watched provisions is the creation of an independent editorial board overseeing CNN and CBS News.
CNN reported that according to the settlement, the board will monitor whether both news organizations follow ethical journalism, editorial independence and fact-based reporting. The board is also intended to shield newsroom decisions from influence by company ownership or shareholders.
Trump's feud with CNN in focus amid the merger
Since returning to the White House in 2025, Trump has repeatedly criticized the network, its White House correspondent Kaitlan Collin's and its reporting.
Paramount owners David Ellison and Larry Ellison have supported Republican candidates, including Trump. Hence, following Wednesday’s ruling, social media posts suggested CNN would now be “under the corporate ownership of Donald Trump donors.”
Conservative commentator, Eric Daugherty, wrote, “CNN will now be under the corporate ownership of DONALD TRUMP DONORS. CNN is now going to be under Larry and David Ellison, who are financially backing this merger.”
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