"Animosity from the White House has taken on new meaning amid an imminent sale to David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, fueling anxiety among journalists."
"Amid a public bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, President Donald Trump in December addressed a key asset of its media empire: CNN.
“I think the people that have run CNN for the last long period of time are a disgrace,” he said. “I think it’s imperative that CNN be sold.”
For more than a decade, Trump has railed against the cable network, making it a constant target in his attacks on mainstream news outlets that he argues are out to get him. He often calls it “Fake News CNN.”
And in the weeks since Paramount Skydance prevailed over Netflix to buy the conglomerate — placing CNN under the oversight of Paramount executive David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison, whose wealth backed the bid — Trump’s criticism has not waned."
Scott Nover and Liam Scott report for the Washington Post April 5, 2026.
