Full Breakdown
Paramount Skydance Hosts Trump Dinner Amid $111 B Merger Review
4/25/2026, 11:34:25 AM
Ellison’s Trump Dinner Amid $111 B Merger Review
On April 23, 2026, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison hosted a dinner at the U.S. Institute of Peace, renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, to honor President Donald Trump. Attendees included CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, former anchor Norah O’Donnell, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Deputy White House chief Stephen Miller, and Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim. The dinner preceded the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and as Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved Paramount’s $110-111 billion acquisition of the CNN/HBO parent.
Timeline & Data
April 23: dinner and shareholder approval of the $110-111 billion merger.
April 24: reports on the event.
April 25: Trump to speak at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner; CBS to seat Pete Hegseth. Protesters numbered “dozens” to “about two dozen.”
Official Statements
Paramount described the deal as a “next-generation media and entertainment company” that will increase competition with services. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav called the shareholder vote “another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction.” The DOJ declined comment. CBS News gave no comment, noting its correspondents were honored as “White House reporters.” The White House did not respond.
Criticism & Opposition
Democratic lawmakers called the dinner evidence of “coziness” between a news outlet and the administration reviewing it. Rep. Jamie Raskin labeled it an “oligarch’s dinner” designed to cement a “corrupt merger scheme.” Rep. Becca Balint said it “celebrates power and corruption.” Norm Eisen likened the First-Amendment framing to a “book burning” celebration. Sen. Chris Murphy warned Democrats would “break these anti-consumer, anti-free-speech media conglomerates into pieces” if they regain power.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the deal value ($110 billion vs $111 billion) and on the institute’s name (U.S. Institute of Peace vs Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace). Protest numbers are described as “dozens” in some accounts and “about two dozen” in others. No transcript of Trump’s hour-long remarks has been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re gathered here together tonight [because] in the building behind us, David Ellison is hosting a dinner to honor President Trump, a dinner that’s designed to cement the Ellisons to the president in their years-running corrupt merger scheme,” — Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative (MD)
- “This resembles the First Amendment in the same way that a book burning is a celebration of the written word,” — Norm Eisen, Co-founder, Democracy Defenders Action
- “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,” — Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
- “Democracy is not for sale” — Protester, Washington D.C.
What’s Next
The DOJ’s antitrust division is expected to issue an assessment in the coming weeks, while a coalition of state attorneys general prepares a coordinated lawsuit. Congressional hearings on media concentration are slated for the summer. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 will give Trump another public platform, influencing perception of the merger.
