CNN Takeover Turmoil: Ellison Won’t Say Whether Trump Backs His Bid
David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, avoided confirming whether President Trump supports his bid to take control of CNN during a new CNBC interview that aired Monday. The question came as Paramount Skydance pushes a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.
Asked directly whether Trump “embraces the idea of you being the owner of CNN,” Ellison paused before replying, “We’ve had great conversations with the president about this, but I don’t want to speak for him in any way, shape, or form.” He offered no further insight into the White House’s position on the deal.
The comment lands in the middle of escalating scrutiny over the proposed acquisition, which would merge CNN with CBS News under a single Paramount-controlled umbrella. Ellison reiterated his pitch for a combined news division focused on trust and appealing to what he calls “the 70% of Americans in the middle.”
But outside reporting has raised questions about political influence. Outlets including The Guardian and Nieman Journalism Lab previously reported that Larry Ellison — David’s father and Paramount’s largest shareholder — discussed potential restructuring of CNN with Trump-aligned figures, including conversations about hosts disliked by the president. Neither Paramount nor CNN has confirmed whether any programming or personnel changes are under consideration.
The takeover attempt has already drawn concerns from media analysts and free-press advocates, who warn that folding two of the country’s major newsrooms into one power center raises both competitive and editorial independence issues. Ellison’s refusal to clarify Trump’s stance is likely to fuel additional speculation as the bid moves forward.