President Donald Trump has publicly opposed Netflix's proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studio assets, reposting an opinion piece on Truth Social that calls the deal a threat to free expression and cultural diversity.
In the article titled "Stop the Netflix Cultural Takeover," published last month by attorney John Pierce in One America News, Pierce argues that the merger would make Netflix "the most dominant cultural gatekeeper the United States—and much of the world—has ever seen."
He warns that the American film industry, historically driven by competition and creativity, would collapse into "a single, politically driven super-entity," describing the outcome as "cultural central planning" rather than capitalism.
The Warner Bros. Discovery board has already approved Netflix's offer while rejecting a higher $108 billion hostile bid from Paramount Skydance. Paramount CEO David Ellison and his father Larry Ellison are known Trump allies.
Pierce suggests regulators should examine whether the board rejected the financially superior Paramount offer because Netflix was seen as the more ideologically aligned—"woker"—buyer.
Trump himself voiced concern last month, stating the Netflix-WBD combination "could be a problem" due to Netflix's already substantial market share, which would grow significantly with the addition of Warner Bros. assets.