Trump Insists CNN Must Get New Owners

US President Donald Trump has said he wants CNN to end up under new ownership as part of any sale of Warner Bros Discovery, escalating his long-running feud with the news network and inserting himself directly into a major corporate acquisition battle.

Warner Bros Discovery is currently at the centre of competing bids from Paramount—led by CEO David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison—and streaming giant Netflix.

Under Paramount’s proposal, CNN would become part of the Ellison media empire.

Under Netflix’s offer, CNN and other cable news properties would be sold off separately before Netflix acquires Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming operations.

Speaking to business leaders at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said CNN must either be included in the deal or sold independently.

“I think any deal should — it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN is part of it or sold separately,” he said.

“The people running CNN now—a very dishonest group of people — should not be allowed to continue. I think CNN should be sold along with everything else.”

In an unusual break from US presidential tradition, Trump said he would be personally involved in approving the deal, rather than leaving the matter solely to the Department of Justice, which typically oversees antitrust evaluations.

Reports in US media indicate that both bidders—which Trump described as “good companies”—have actively lobbied the White House and Trump himself for support.

Trump’s strained relationship with CNN, which he has frequently labelled “fake news,” appears to shape his stance. His comments signal a preference for the Paramount–Ellison bid, though the Netflix plan would also separate CNN from its current owners.

Since taking control of Paramount earlier this year, David Ellison has made notable moves, including appointing Bari Weiss — a vocal critic of perceived media bias — as editor-in-chief of CBS News. Her appointment has been welcomed by conservatives.

Shortly before Ellison assumed control, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” long known for its anti-Trump commentary, was cancelled.

Despite these shifts, Trump criticised Paramount earlier in the week, accusing the company of failing to fully align with his expectations after CBS aired an interview featuring Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a once-ally who has publicly clashed with Trump.

Netflix, meanwhile, is widely viewed as politically closer to Democrats, with founder Reed Hastings being a major donor to the party.

The fate of CNN — and the broader Warner Bros Discovery portfolio — remains uncertain as the high-stakes bidding war continues.