Just think that the people that have run CNN into the ground, by the way. Nobody watches. Very few people watch. I don't think they should be entrusted with running CNN any longer. So I think any deal should it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN [00:00:15] is part of it or sold separately. But I don't think the people that are running that company right now and running CNN, which is a very dishonest group of people, I don't think that should be allowed to continue. I think CNN should be sold along with everything else. [00:00:35] As media behemoths fight for the chance to buy Warner Brothers, Donald Trump interjected to insist that CNN, a subsidiary of a subsidiary of Warner, end up under new ownership as well. And that reflects where he and his administration [00:00:51] might fall on some of these deals. We've got the details. We've got more of what he has to say. - But first, Jack, your $0.02. - Yeah. So I'm going to tell you guys why he's insisting that CNN be included in the deal. Yeah, of course we all get he wants CNN to be a lapdog for him. [00:01:07] But there's a second reason that's really important that I don't want you to miss. And also, I can prove that what he's saying there makes no earthly sense at all. These they can't possibly be a justification for it. So we'll explain that after Jordan gives you the facts. [00:01:25] So it's important to note off the bat that there are two competing offers for Warner Brothers Discovery right now. One from Netflix only includes Warner's studio and entertainment properties, but the other from a Trump ally, would also include CNN. [00:01:41] Paramount owner David Ellison, who's also pursuing Wbd, sat the other night in the Kennedy Center's presidential box. The next morning, his company announced a hostile bid at more than $108 billion, arguing against a Netflix tie up in part on antitrust grounds, [00:02:00] and Ellison is trying to leverage his proximity to the president to win over shareholders as Paramount and Netflix jockey for position. Paramount's pitch to shareholders isn't just that its bid is better financially, but that it's more likely to receive regulatory approval than Netflix is offer. [00:02:20] Paramount has offered $108 billion to buy all of Wbd, including its cable networks. So if Netflix acquires just the entertainment assets, that's an antitrust concern. But if Paramount, who now owns CBS through the Skydance merger [00:02:37] and acquisition, if they also buy the entertainment assets and CNN, that's somehow not an antitrust concern. I wonder why that is. And now Trump says he will be involved in this process and wants CNN sold. [00:02:54] Take a look. Well, I'm not involved in that. I will be probably involved may be involved in the decision. It depends. You have some good companies bidding on it. I think the people that have run CNN for the last long period of time [00:03:10] are a disgrace. I think it's imperative that CNN be sold. And there are other members of Trump's inner circle and close allies who are involved in Paramount's offer. That could give it more leverage here. In a securities filing Monday. [00:03:28] Paramount said its outside financing partners include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Abu Dhabi's holding company, the Qatar Investment Authority and Jared Kushner's affinity partners. [00:03:45] - Jake, what do you make of this? - Yeah. So first, why does it make no sense at all? Jordan, largely explained it there, guys. The reason you would block any of these mergers is because it would create too [00:04:01] large a monopoly, and you don't want too few media companies running that industry. You don't want too few companies running any industry, because then it reduces their need to do price competition and serve the customers, etc.. [00:04:17] That's why we sometimes block mergers. So the problem is when they're too large. So when Trump says no, whoever's buying it has to include CNN. It only makes it larger. So there's it makes no sense to demand that if you're the government [00:04:35] that's looking out to make sure the company is not too large. He's not even trying to make sense. So it's just the most irrational thing that anybody's ever heard. Oh, well, we're worried about monopolies, so make sure the company's bigger. [00:04:51] What? Okay, so now why does he want CNN included in the deal? So remember, there's Warner Brothers and they've split it into two, are potentially going to split into two companies. One was the CNN and the cable properties, and the other one that's the streaming company. [00:05:06] Netflix only wants the streaming company, and Paramount wants it all. Why? Because the CNN and stuff is, financially speaking, is at this point, close to toxic. They're they have a bad business model. They're still making a profit. [00:05:21] You could dump it on private equity where they just skim off all the profit for now, and then they leave, and then they throw away the rest. So they've done that with so many American companies before Sears, Kmart, etc. In this case, they would start doing it with media. So generally speaking, people don't want that block of cable, properties. [00:05:39] That's part of why Warner Brothers is splitting it off. But Paramount does want it. Why? Because Larry Ellison is the biggest donor to the IDF and, has and we've shown it now in so many different ways. Is has wants America and American media to support his beloved Israel. [00:05:58] So he's trying to buy TikTok. He's already bought CBS. They've already put Barry Weiss, the number one fan of Israel in American media, as the head of CBS news. She just installed her most pro-Israel anchor as the head of CBS Evening News. And so he wants to do that to CNN as well, to serve Donald Trump [00:06:15] and to serve Israel. So that's why they want that. So why does Trump wanted to include it in the deal, even if Netflix buys it? And Netflix has nothing to do with Israel, right? Because it would make the deal more expensive. And if it's more expensive and you're including some junk with it, then Netflix [00:06:33] isn't going to want to buy it as much. And neither is anyone else. And that leaves the only bidder being paramount. So that way Trump doesn't even have to block the merger. He could just say, well, Netflix didn't want it. They had to include CNN and all the cable companies. [00:06:48] And since it was too expensive and they didn't want it, I guess Paramount's going to have to take it. And I guess CNN is now going to be Trump and Israel Central. I mean, as if they weren't already Israel central, but it's never enough for the Ellisons. Everything has to be 200% in favor of Israel. [00:07:03] So that's what this is about. But look, Jordan, the last thing is the good news is none of this matters. Because if the Ellison's by CNN, it's just going to be the same thing as CBS. Nobody's going to watch it. You know, it's pure Israeli propaganda. [00:07:19] It's not news. It's weirdo marketing for a different country. Who would be stupid enough to watch that and believe that it's real news? Yeah. And I think the one interesting thing out of this, it reflects the decision [00:07:34] and maybe the the pulling of strings to get Colbert off the air. They said it was a financial decision. Well, you're making $108 billion offer to buy Warner. And now potentially CNN. Seems like you have enough money to pay Colbert. [00:07:50] Yeah. No, they don't like that he's criticizing Trump. And by the way, super last thing. If you're so thin skinned as a politician, that you need your donor buddies to buy the media to kiss your ass, then you're not a very good politician. [00:08:07] Okay. And you're. You're weak. You're pathetic. If an ally of mine said, let's go buy up all the media and make them support us, I'd say, no, it's America. Let people say whatever they want. No you don't. Don't interfere with Fox News, I don't care. [00:08:23] Let Fox News say whatever they want. And let's go deliver for the American people, and they'll love us for it. And we won't have to worry about any of the media. But no, the people in power don't care about American people. They don't care about freedom of speech, freedom of the press. They don't care about Constitution. They don't care about anything that's related to America. [00:08:40] All they care about is protect the people in power. So let them buy whatever crap that they want. The minute the ellisons buy something, never use it again. Problem solved. Every time you ring the bell below, an angel gets his wings. Totally not true, but it does keep you updated on our live shows.