President Donald Trump said Wednesday it is "imperative" that CNN be sold as part of any deal involving its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, renewing his long-running criticism of the network as media consolidation talks swirl around the company.
Trump made the remarks to reporters at the White House, calling CNN a "disgrace" and "fake news" and suggesting the channel should be sold either separately or as part of a broader transaction, according to reports.
"I think CNN should be sold because the people that are running CNN right now are either corrupt or incompetent," the president said.
"I think any deal, it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN 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," he said.
Paramount on Monday launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, initiating a potentially bruising battle with rival bidder Netflix to buy the company behind HBO, CNN, and a famed movie studio along with the power to reshape much of the nation's entertainment landscape.
Emerging just days after top Warner managers agreed to Netflix's $72 billion purchase, the Paramount bid seeks to go over the heads of those leaders by appealing directly to Warner shareholders with more money — $77.9 billion — and a plan to buy all of Warner's business, including the cable business that Netflix does not want.
In its appeal to shareholders, Paramount noted its offer contains more cash than Netflix's bid — $18 billion more — and argued that it's more likely to pass scrutiny from Trump's administration.
Trump said he is not personally involved in negotiations but signaled his views as the potential transactions face regulatory scrutiny.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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