⚖️ Trump vs Netflix

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The "Boardroom Battle": Trump, Susan Rice, and the Netflix Merger

The tension between the White House and Netflix reached a fever pitch when President Trump issued a blunt ultimatum: fire board member Susan Rice or "pay the consequences." This demand has essentially transformed a corporate governance issue into a high-stakes regulatory gamble. Rice, a veteran of both the Obama and Biden administrations, drew the president's ire following an appearance on the "Stay Tuned with Preet" podcast, where she warned that corporations "taking a knee" to the current administration would face an "accountability agenda" and subpoenas if Democrats regain power. Trump’s response, echoed by activist Laura Loomer, characterizes Rice’s presence as a sign of "anti-American" bias, effectively tying her employment to the fate of Netflix’s most ambitious business move in its history.

Regulatory Jeopardy: The $83 Billion Warner Bros. Deal

The "consequences" Trump alluded to are widely interpreted as the potential blockage of Netflix's pending $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Announced in late 2025, the deal would give Netflix control over crown jewels such as HBO, DC Studios, and the Harry Potter franchise, but it is currently under intense scrutiny by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The DOJ issued a new civil investigative demand (subpoena) to independent studios, seeking to determine whether Netflix wields "anticompetitive leverage" over filmmakers. This widening antitrust review, which could delay the merger by many months, provides the administration with significant leverage. While Co-CEO Ted Sarandos maintains that "this is a business deal, not a political deal," the president’s public pressure suggests that the "standard review" may be increasingly influenced by the political composition of Netflix's leadership.

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