Donald Trump has lobbed a political grenade into the final hours of the Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) takeover battle. In a weekend social media post, the US president demanded Netflix sack board member and former Democratic national security advisor Susan Rice, or face severe consequences.
This outburst reverses his previous promise to stay out of the corporate knife fight between Netflix and Paramount Skydance. But with David Ellison facing a Monday night deadline to submit his ‘best and final’ offer for WBD, the political pressure on Netflix is suddenly boiling over.
The Loomer influence
The president’s intervention follows heavy prodding from MAGA influencer Laura Loomer. Over the weekend, reported by Deadline, Loomer circulated a clip of Rice appearing on a podcast hosted by former US attorney Preet Bharara.
In the interview, Rice warned corporations against taking a ‘knee to Trump’, predicting an ‘accountability agenda’ if Democrats regain power. She advised companies to preserve documents and prepare for subpoenas, noting that political tides shift quickly.
Laura Loomer calls Netflix ‘WOKE’ . Image: Nicole Craine / The New York Times / Redux
Loomer seized on the comments, branding Netflix an ‘anti-American, WOKE company’ and urging Trump to kill the merger.
She argued that a combined Netflix-WBD would create a streaming monopoly designed to blast positive messaging for Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, whose Higher Ground Productions holds a lucrative Netflix deal.
Pay the consequences
Trump quickly obliged. Taking to his Truth Social platform, he demanded the immediate firing of the ‘Trump Deranged’ board member, adding she possessed no talent or skills.
Trump posts comments with vague threat regarding Susan Rice. Image: X
“HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK. How much is she being paid, and for what???” Trump posted, concluding with a vague but ominous threat that Netflix must pay the consequences if they ignore his directive.
Netflix has remained silent on the outburst. Although the streaming giant did issue a broader statement reiterating that it does not seek monopoly power.
A favourable wind for Paramount
The political theatre provides a timely boost for Paramount Skydance. Ellison now has until the end of Monday to bridge the gap between his recent $31 per share overture and the WBD board’s lofty expectations.
Crucially, the Paramount bid cleared a major US antitrust hurdle over the weekend after a 10-day statutory waiting period expired. Industry insiders widely view this swift regulatory clearance as a signal of White House support.
This comes as little surprise given the bid relies heavily on the chequebook of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, a prominent Trump donor.
Larry And David Ellison may be sitting on the right side of Donald Trump. Image: LA Times
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos must now navigate an increasingly hostile political landscape alongside an active Department of Justice investigation.
Meanwhile, WBD chief executive David Zaslav and his board hold the stopwatch. They’re waiting to see if Paramount can deliver a knockout blow before the seven-day window snaps shut.
Featured image: AI generated