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US President Donald Trump has called on Netflix to fire former Democratic national security official Susan Rice from its board or “face consequences” as the streamer struggles to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.
Trump’s comments signal the return of the battle between Netflix and Paramount Skydance to acquire the famed Hollywood studio, something he previously said he would stay out of. Both proposed acquisitions must be approved by federal regulators.
The US President took up the issue at the urging of MAGA influencer Laura Loomer.
“Netflix is racist, Trump should fire Susan Rice immediately, or face consequences. She has no talent or skills – purely a political ploy!”. Reposting on his Truth social platform on Saturday, Trump wrote x post Loomer urged them to “kill the Netflix-Warner Bros. merger right now.”
Rice was national security adviser under former President Barack Obama and US ambassador to the United Nations. She was also on former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy council. He served on the board of Netflix from 2018 to 2020, and was reappointed in 2023.
Trump said of Rice, “Her power is gone and she will never get it back. How much is she being paid, and for what???”.
The former Democratic official said Thursday on a podcast with Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, that “it would not be good” for companies to “capture to Trump” if his party gains power in Washington.
“They’re more likely to be caught with their pants down,” he said.
He predicted that Democrats would bring “an accountability agenda” and said companies should “protect their documents” and “be prepared for subpoenas.”
“If these corporations think that the Democrats, when they get back to power, are going to play by the old rules… I think they have another thing coming,” she said.
In a lengthy social media post on Saturday, Loomer, who has no formal role in the administration but persuaded Trump to fire US national security officials early last year, wrote: “Is Netflix standing with its board member threatening half the country with armed government and political retribution for who they vote for as president?”
“This is absolutely anti-American and Netflix is proving every day that they are an anti-American, WOKE company,” he said.
He said Netflix’s acquisition of WBD would benefit Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama and that the service would be filled with “positive messages” for Democrats.
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
WBD resumed sale talks with Paramount this week, giving David Ellison’s media conglomerate until Monday to submit its “best and final” bid to top Netflix’s agreed $83 billion acquisition or end its pursuit of the studio. Paramount has been repeatedly overruled by the WBD board, which agreed to an $83 billion deal with Netflix.
Ellison’s father Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle and Paramount, funded by a Trump donor, has launched a hostile bid for WBD.
WBD owns some of the world’s most valuable film and TV properties, such as harry potter And Friend, Including the HBO Max streaming service and its programming game of Thrones And white lotus.
Paramount’s own $108 billion bid cleared a key US antitrust hurdle on Friday, saying it had complied with a second review process by the US Justice Department. Netflix, meanwhile, faces an early-stage review by Trump’s Justice Department to assess whether its deal to buy the studio would be anti-competitive.
Additional reporting by Christopher Grimes in Los Angeles
