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.
Gutman recently drew criticism after comments made while reporting on the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
During a broadcast, he described text messages between the suspect and a partner as “touching” and “intimate,” remarks some viewers felt were inappropriate given the seriousness of the incident. Within a day, Gutman publicly apologized, saying he regretted the wording and condemning the violence.
If the Ellison acquisition succeeds, CNN could be restructured along similar editorial lines as CBS News, reflecting what David Ellison calls a renewed focus on restoring viewer confidence.
Despite occasional frustration, advisers say Trump remains open to the Paramount proposal, partly because it includes CNN while the Netflix deal does not. Privately, he has said he wants significant reforms at the network.
Speaking at a White House roundtable, Trump commented that he is familiar with the companies involved but emphasized the need to review their market share before supporting any deal.
Meanwhile, the competing megamergers have sparked concern across the political spectrum
. Senator Elizabeth Warren warned that the deals could create serious monopoly risks, while Representative Darrell Issa argued that large media consolidations could reduce consumer choice and weaken independent voices.
As one political newsletter summarized, both Netflix and Paramount appear to believe that the ultimate fate of these massive media deals may depend on approval from the White House—making the Oval Office a central player in the battle for control of one of America’s most influential news networks.
My Sister-in-Law Burned Me With Christmas Grease, But She Forgot My Phone Was Still Recording
My Sister-in-Law Burned Me With Christmas Grease, But She Forgot My Phone Was Still Recording
The moment I lifted the heavy Christmas roast from the oven, my sister-in-law drove her shoulder straight into mine.
The roasting pan ripped free from my hands.
A torrent of boiling grease exploded over my legs.
The pain struck before the pan shattered against the tile.
I crumpled to the kitchen floor, my scream echoing through the house as scalding oil soaked through my clothes and into my skin. While the rest of the family sat frozen in horrified silence, Meredith bent down just enough for only me to hear.
"That's what happens when you steal my brother," she murmured, her voice calm enough to be terrifying. "Next time, I'll make sure it lands on your face."
My hands were shaking so violently I dropped my phone twice before I finally unlocked it.
Agony tore through my legs with every heartbeat. Everything below my knees felt as though it had been thrown into an open furnace. My vision blurred while thin curls of smoke rose from the ruined roast lying in a lake of boiling grease, shattered ceramic scattered across the kitchen floor.
Around the dining table...
No one moved.
My husband, Daniel Whitmore, had pushed back his chair but stood frozen, trapped between disbelief and cowardice. His mother, Evelyn, still held a crystal wineglass halfway to her lips. His father, Charles, lowered his eyes to his dinner as though refusing to acknowledge the nightmare unfolding only a few feet away.
Meredith never flinched.
She stood in the doorway with the composure of someone who believed she had already won.
I pressed 911.
"Emergency services. What's your emergency?"
"My name is Claire Whitmore," I managed through ragged breaths. "I'm at 118 Briar Hollow Road in Westport. I've suffered severe burns after my sister-in-law deliberately shoved me while I was carrying a pan of boiling grease. It poured over my legs. She also threatened to burn my face next."
Everything inside that room changed.
Nobody raised their voice.
Nobody interrupted.
But the silence suddenly became unbearable.
For the first time all evening...
Meredith looked uncertain.
"Claire..." Daniel said quietly, taking one cautious step toward me. "What are you saying?"
I met his eyes without blinking.
"I'm telling them exactly what you all just watched."
Meredith forced out a brittle laugh.
"She slipped," she said quickly. "She's in shock. She doesn't know what she's saying."
I tightened my grip around the phone.
"No," I said, every word deliberate. "You rammed into me on purpose. Then you told me this was punishment for stealing Daniel away from your family."
The dispatcher calmly instructed me not to cover the burns, to remain where I was, and to wait for the paramedics.
Only then did Daniel finally seem to wake from whatever had paralyzed him.
He rushed toward me and reached for my arm.
I jerked away.
"Don't."
The color vanished from his face.
"Claire... I didn't realize—"
"You heard me screaming."
At last Evelyn lowered her wineglass.
Even now, irritation outweighed concern in her voice.
"Claire, please. This is a family matter. Don't make this any worse."
Despite the fire consuming my legs, a cold laugh escaped my lips.
"A family matter?" I repeated, making sure every word carried clearly through the phone. "Your entire family stood there while I begged for help."
Something inside Meredith finally snapped.
"You pathetic little parasite."
The dispatcher spoke again, calm and measured.
"Is the person who assaulted you still inside the residence?"
"Yes," I answered, never taking my eyes off Meredith. "She's standing about ten feet away from me."
Meredith stepped forward.
Daniel instinctively moved between us.
Outside...
The piercing wail of approaching sirens grew louder with every passing second.
For the first time since I married into the Whitmore family...
I watched every trace of certainty disappear from the faces gathered around that Christmas table.
Then the front doorbell rang.
And in that exact moment...
I remembered something that sent a surge of adrenaline through my body despite the unbearable pain.
My phone had never stopped recording.
