President Donald Trump has publicly renewed pressure on CNN amid a high-stakes bidding fight over Warner Bros. Discovery assets that could reshape the network’s ownership and editorial direction.
Deal Dynamics
Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to sell its movie and entertainment studios to Netflix in a multibillion-dollar transaction that will require regulatory approval. Separately, the company intends to spin off its linear-broadcast assets — including CNN, TNT Sports and Discovery — into a standalone public company. Paramount has mounted a hostile bid for the entire Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio, directly competing with Netflix.
White House Intervention
Trump told reporters,
"It’s imperative that CNN be sold. I think CNN should be sold, because I think the people running CNN right now are either corrupt or incompetent."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president’s criticism from the podium, citing a tense exchange she had with CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins as evidence the network needs editorial change.
Alleged Outreach and Editorial Promises
According to reports, after Warner Bros. Discovery announced the Netflix deal, David Ellison of the Ellison family — which backs Paramount’s bid — phoned the president to argue the Netflix agreement raised competition concerns and reportedly pledged editorial changes at CNN if Paramount prevailed.
Voices From Media and Press-Freedom Advocates
Former CNN bureau chief Frank Sesno said the degree of presidential involvement in private commercial transactions is unprecedented: "Donald Trump sees himself as the lead shareholder in every single transaction out there." Civil liberties advocates warned that public calls by the president for a specific news outlet to be sold risk chilling editorial independence. Bob Corn-Revere of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called the president’s comments "wildly inappropriate" and said decisions about newsroom leadership should be free from political pressure.
Response From CNN Talent
CNN anchors have publicly reacted to the pressure. Jake Tapper criticized the president on air for departing from long-standing precedent about a president’s role in private deals, saying Trump is "very focused on the fate of this news network and he will involve himself in the purchase." Kaitlan Collins called the president’s remarks about the potential sale "astounding."
Business Context
CNN has faced persistent business challenges common across cable news: audiences have eroded amid increased cord-cutting, advertising markets are strained, and a recent attempt at a subscription-based streaming news service was shut down. The network also experienced leadership turnover after a CEO who sought a more centrist direction exited.
Why This Matters
The convergence of a high-profile sale process, Kremlin–style (sic) political attention from the White House, and industry headwinds has heightened concerns about the independence of editorial decision-making at a major U.S. news outlet. With the Netflix deal subject to regulatory review and Paramount’s hostile bid still active, who ultimately controls CNN — and how it covers politics — remains a major battleground in debates over media power, competition and press freedom.
Key Dates and Next Steps
Any proposed sales or mergers will require approval from federal regulators. The outcome of those reviews, together with the final result of bidding between Netflix and Paramount, will determine CNN’s ownership and, potentially, its editorial trajectory.
