Trump Distances Himself from Ellison Family Amid Paramount's Hostile Bid for Warner Bros.

President Donald Trump has publicly distanced himself from the Ellison family, who are leading Paramount Global's aggressive bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). This distancing comes as David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, has made a series of increasingly bold offers to take over WBD, culminating in a hostile takeover attempt. Trump's comments were primarily driven by his dissatisfaction with CBS News' "60 Minutes," which he claims has treated him poorly since the Ellison family's acquisition of Paramount.

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In August, David Ellison completed Skydance Media's acquisition of Paramount Global, positioning himself to pursue a full takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Over a span of 12 weeks, Ellison's offers for WBD escalated from $19 per share to a recent bid of $30 per share. Following WBD's acceptance of a competing bid from Netflix worth $82.7 billion, Ellison initiated a direct approach to WBD's shareholders to secure support for his bid.

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In a series of posts on his Truth Social account, Trump expressed his discontent with the Ellison family's influence over CBS, stating, "For those people that think I am close with the new owners of CBS, please understand that '60 Minutes' has treated me far worse since the so-called 'takeover' than they have ever treated me before." He further remarked, "If they are friends, I’d hate to see my enemies!" Trump's remarks indicate a significant shift in his previously amicable relationship with the Ellisons, as he has criticized their handling of media coverage related to him.

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Despite Trump's criticisms, some observers note that he has previously touted his friendship with the Ellison family. His recent comments appear to stem from a specific incident involving a "60 Minutes" interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has recently criticized Trump. This contradiction raises questions about the consistency of Trump's alliances in the media landscape.

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While Trump has claimed a lack of close relationships with the bidders for WBD, he has also indicated that he would be involved in the review of the Netflix-WBD deal. This statement contrasts with his assertion that none of the bidders are "particularly great friends" of his. Additionally, Trump's relationship with Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, which had previously backed Paramount's bid, remains unclear, as he stated he had never discussed the matter with Kushner.

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• “For those people that think I am close with the new owners of CBS, please understand that ’60 Minutes’ has treated me far worse since the so-called ‘takeover’ than they have ever treated me before,” — Donald Trump, President of the United States

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• “If they are friends, I’d hate to see my enemies!” — Donald Trump, President of the United States

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As the situation evolves, the implications of Trump's distancing from the Ellison family and his involvement in the Warner Bros. acquisition process remain to be seen.

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