President Trump demanded that Netflix kick former national security adviser Susan Rice off its board, adding another political headache to the streaming company’s pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery’s key entertainment assets.
President Trump demanded that Netflix kick former national security adviser Susan Rice off its board
“Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences,” Trump said in a Saturday evening post on his Truth Social platform, calling the former Obama administration official a “political hack.”
The president’s message responded to post by Trump ally Laura Loomer that criticized Rice and said Trump should block Netflix’s deal with Warner. Loomer, a right-wing internet personality, has pushed to oust several acting national-security officials she claims are disloyal to the president or his agenda.
Netflix didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment and Rice couldn’t immediately be reached.
The messages come at a delicate time for Netflix, which has been trying to bolster its relationship with the Trump administration.
Netflix has a deal to acquire Warner’s movie and television studios and the HBO Max streaming platform, which requires approval from the Justice Department. It is also trying to hold off Paramount, which has embarked on a hostile bid for all of Warner including its cable-network unit, home to CNN, TNT and other channels. Paramount’s bid is valued at $77.9 billion.
This past week, Warner agreed to a seven-day negotiation window for Paramount to submit a “best and final” offer for the company. That window expires Monday. Netflix would then have the right to match any bid.
The Justice Department has been looking at whether Netflix’s planned Warner deal could entrench its market power or lead to a monopoly, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
