Trump Says CNN Should Be Sold Amid Warner Bros. Discovery–Netflix Talks, Calls Network 'Corrupt or Incompetent'

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believes CNN should be sold as Warner Bros. Discovery prepares for a major transaction with Netflix and faces a hostile takeover bid from Paramount.

Speaking at a White House roundtable with business leaders, Trump called it "imperative" that CNN be divested. He accused the network's leadership of being "either corrupt or incompetent" and said they should no longer be trusted to run the channel.

"I don't think they should be entrusted with running CNN any longer. So I think any deal should — it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN is part of it or sold separately," he said.

Trump's remarks came after a Wall Street Journal report that Paramount CEO David Ellison met with the former president in Washington and suggested he would implement significant changes at CNN. At the event, Trump said he might be "probably involved, maybe involved in the decision" about the network's future and noted that "some good companies" are bidding.

Deal Context

Last week Warner Bros. Discovery announced an agreement to sell its movie, television and streaming assets to Netflix for $72 billion, a figure that rises to more than $82 billion when debt is included. That proposed Netflix transaction would not include Warner Bros. Discovery's cable channels, such as CNN and TNT, which could become part of a separate public company if regulators approve the deal.

Paramount launched a hostile $30-per-share bid in the wake of the Netflix agreement. That offer is expected to be partially financed by investors from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, along with Affinity Partners, the investment firm founded by Jared Kushner.

Trump and CNN

At Wednesday's event, Trump also disparaged a CNN reporter who asked about the Defense Department's release of video showing a second strike on a suspected drug-running vessel. He told the reporter, "You must be CNN," and added, "You know you work for the Democrats. You're basically an arm of the Democrat Party."

Trump has clashed with CNN for years. During his first term, the White House revoked the press pass of then-CNN correspondent Jim Acosta; access was later restored after a brief court fight. In 2022, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN over coverage related to his false claims about the 2020 election; the suit was dismissed within a year and his attempt to revive it was rejected on appeal.

Representatives for CNN, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's remarks.