Trump Declines To Take Sides, For Now, In Netflix And Paramount Pursuit Of Warner Bros.: “None Of Them Are Particularly Great Friends Of Mine”
As Paramount made a hostile offer for Warner Bros. Discovery in an effort to overcome Netflix‘s deal for the media giant, Donald Trump is in the middle.
On Monday, he commented again on the prospects for a major media merger, this time not favoring either suitor. Both companies have tried to win his favor, as his administration’s Justice Department will review the transaction.
Trump told reporters, “I know the companies very well. I know what they are doing. But I have to see… what percentage of market they have. We have to see the Netflix percentage of market, Paramount percentage of market. I mean, none of them are particularly great friends of mine. I want to do what’s right.”
Trump said that he has not spoken to Jared Kushner, his son in law, about the Paramount bid. Kushner’s pribate equity firm Affinity Partners is part of the Paramount bid.
On the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, Trump praised Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, but said that the market share of a combined Netflix-WB could be a problem. Trump has praised Paramount CEO David Ellison since he took over the media company, but on Monday the president railed against the new owners, complaining of a 60 Minutes segment featuring Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)., who is now a nemisis.
