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President Donald Trump has once again targeted CNN, suggesting on Wednesday that the news network should be sold as part of the ongoing deal involving its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD).
“I think the people that have run CNN for the last long period of time are a disgrace. I think it’s imperative that CNN be sold because you certainly wouldn’t want to…just leave those people with some money, good money…so that.. they can spend even more money spreading poison because it’s lies. It’s a disgrace.” Trump told reporters.
The President has been a vocal critic of CNN, often referring to the network as “fake news” and accusing it of biased reporting against him.
WBD did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
Moreover, Trump has a long history of combative exchanges with the media and lawsuits with reporters. In July, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to settle Trump's lawsuit over a "60 Minutes" interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
In September, President Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times (NYSE:NYT), following a $10 billion suit in July against the Wall Street Journal and its parent company, News Corp (NASDAQ:NWSA) (NASDAQ:NWS), over allegedly false reporting linking him to Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump has also often responded to tough questions with personal insults. For instance, he mocked a New York Times correspondent as "third rate" and "ugly," over a report that examined signs of aging in his public schedule.
Trump's remarks on Wednesday follow news of Netflix's (NASDAQ:NFLX) proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. assets, including HBO. The deal excludes CNN and other cable networks like TNT and TBS, which are expected to be spun off into a separate entity ahead of the merger.
The ongoing deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery has been a subject of significant interest, with various industry players expressing their views. For instance, Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY) CEO David Ellison has reportedly been urging Warner Bros. to reject Netflix’s offer in favor of a $108 billion all-cash hostile bid from Paramount. This bid is being pitched as a superior option to Netflix’s $82.7 billion cash-and-stock offer.
Trump has also made it clear that he will play a direct role in the federal review of the Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, as he believes the merged company’s significant market share could pose a problem.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
