Infobrief
Mar 12, 2026

Trump Ally Pledges Major CNN Changes if Paramount Wins Warner Bros. Takeover

A major political and corporate showdown is unfolding around the future of American media, with billionaire technology entrepreneur Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison playing a central role.

 At the heart of the drama is the future of CNN and a potential reshaping of the U.S. media landscape.

Sources familiar with the situation say the Ellisons have privately reassured Donald Trump that if their company, Paramount Global, successfully completes its proposed $108 billion hostile takeover of Warner Bros.

Discovery, they would carry out sweeping changes at CNN—an outlet Trump has frequently criticized and labeled as “fake news.”

The Paramount bid emerged shortly after Netflix announced a $72 billion agreement to acquire Warner’s film studio and HBO operations. Under Netflix’s structure, however, CNN would not be included and would instead be spun off as a separate entity.

Paramount’s proposal takes a different approach. The Ellisons’ offer specifically includes CNN, and insiders say they plan to dramatically transform the network if the deal goes through.

According to reports, during private discussions in Washington, David Ellison told senior officials aligned with Trump that CNN would face a “fundamental cultural and editorial transformation” under Paramount ownership. His father, Larry Ellison, reportedly raised the possibility of removing several well-known CNN anchors, including Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar—both of whom have been publicly criticized by Trump in the past.

One White House official said the president believes CNN’s current leadership is openly hostile toward him and that he favors new ownership that would bring major programming changes.

The Ellisons have also been working to build trust with Trump while the U.S. Department of Justice reviews the competing deals.

 The Antitrust Division—ultimately overseen by the president—will decide whether either merger can proceed. Recently, Larry and David Ellison were spotted with Trump in the presidential box during the Kennedy Center Honors, just two days before Paramount revealed its counteroffer.

Reports also indicate that Larry Ellison personally called Trump following the Netflix-Warner announcement, warning that a Netflix takeover could give Silicon Valley enormous influence over the streaming industry and reduce competition.

David Ellison has publicly outlined a broader vision for merging CNN with CBS News into a unified news operation. In a CNBC interview, he said the goal would be to create a larger news platform focused on “trust” and “truth,” aimed at appealing to what he describes as the political middle of the American public.

Under the proposed plan, the combined CNN–CBS News organization could be overseen by journalist Bari Weiss, who recently assumed leadership at CBS News. Weiss has promoted a shift toward what some observers call a more “post-woke” editorial approach.

One of her early hires was veteran reporter Matt Gutman, formerly with ABC News, who now serves as CBS’s chief correspondent across multiple programs including CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News.

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