Trump says CNN should be sold as part of any WBD deal
At a White House appearance, former President Trump said any sale of Warner Bros. Discovery should include CNN — either sold with the company or separately — calling current CNN leadership "corrupt or incompetent" and saying he would "probably be involved" in ensuring it is sold. His comments heighten the stakes between competing bids (Netflix’s roughly $83 billion offer would exclude CNN while Paramount’s $108 billion hostile bid includes the cable networks and disclosed Gulf and private financing), as WBD’s board faces a short deadline and CNN staffers warn a spinoff with heavy debt could leave the network’s future "up for grabs."
📌 Key Facts
- From the White House, Trump said any deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery should include CNN — either sold with the company or sold separately — calling current CNN leadership "corrupt or incompetent" and saying it is "imperative" CNN be sold.
- Trump said he will "probably be involved" and suggested his administration could be a hurdle for both Netflix’s and Paramount’s bids; Axios and Fox note his remarks could shift perceived regulatory risk toward Netflix because its offer excludes CNN.
- Netflix has offered roughly $83 billion for Warner Bros.’ studios and HBO only, explicitly excluding CNN and other cable networks and planning to spin off CNN with legacy cable assets.
- Paramount launched a hostile $108 billion bid for the entire company that includes CNN and other cable assets; it disclosed financing partners — Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding, Qatar Investment Authority and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners — collectively providing at least $24 billion and agreeing to forgo board seats and voting rights.
- WBD’s board has about 10 days to respond to Paramount’s hostile tender; the board believes Netflix’s offer is financially superior but must weigh the risk of shareholder lawsuits if it rejects the tender.
- CNN staff told NPR they fear a spinoff combined with other cable channels and heavy debt would leave CNN’s fate "up for grabs," even as CEO Mark Thompson said Netflix’s exclusion of CNN initially appeared to aid the network’s digital transition.
📊 Relevant Data
The median age of adults who regularly get news from CNN is 50 years old, compared to the median age of U.S. adults overall, which is around 39 years old.
How audiences of 30 major news sources differ by age — Pew Research Center
In 2025, 60% of Black Americans say they most trust mainstream TV news, compared to 39% of White Americans; Black Americans comprise about 13% of the U.S. population, while White Americans comprise about 58%.
In April 2025, the FCC approved a petition allowing Pandora Media, Inc., a U.S. company, to exceed the 25 percent foreign ownership benchmark for its subsidiary Sirius XM Radio LLC.
April 7, 2025 FCC FACT SHEET* Review of Foreign Ownership Policies for Broadcast, Common Carrier and Aeronautical Radio Licensees — Federal Communications Commission
📰 Sources (4)
- NPR reports internal CNN reactions and strategy context via interviews with seven current/former staffers, citing fears that a spinoff with other cable channels and heavy debt would leave CNN's fate 'up for grabs.'
- CNN CEO Mark Thompson told staff the Netflix plan to exclude CNN from the studios/streaming purchase initially looked positive for CNN’s digital transition.
- Article details that Netflix did not want CNN and planned to spin it off with legacy cable assets, sharpening the stakes around Trump’s public demand that CNN be sold.
- Trump said he will "probably be involved" and that it is "imperative" CNN be sold as part of any deal, calling current CNN leadership "corrupt or incompetent."
- Axios reports WBD’s board has 10 days to respond to Paramount’s hostile tender and believes Netflix’s offer is superior financially but must weigh shareholder‑lawsuit risk if it rejects the tender.
- Axios frames Trump’s remarks as potentially shifting perceived regulatory risk toward Netflix’s offer because it does not include WBD’s cable networks like CNN.
- Paramount disclosed financing partners — Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding, Qatar Investment Authority, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners — collectively providing at least $24 billion and agreeing to forgo board seats and voting rights to avoid foreign investment thresholds.
- Trump said from the White House that "any deal" to buy Warner Bros. should include CNN — either sold with the company or sold separately — citing distrust in current CNN leadership.
- He reiterated that his administration could be a hurdle for both Netflix’s and Paramount’s bids, signaling potential conditions tied to CNN.
- Article recaps that Netflix’s offer (~$83B) targets the studio and HBO only, while Paramount launched a $108B hostile bid for the entire company including CNN and other cable assets.