President Trump called out Netflix's plan to create a woke media empire.
The streaming giant thought they could slip this past regulators.
But Netflix just made one desperate move after Trump exposed their Warner Bros takeover plot.
Trump sounds alarm on Netflix's "cultural takeover"
Netflix announced Tuesday it's switching its massive Warner Bros Discovery deal to an all-cash offer.
The streaming giant is keeping the price at $27.75 per share — still valuing the deal at $72 billion.
This is Netflix scrambling after President Trump and conservative leaders exposed what's really going on here.
Trump shared an article on Truth Social titled "Stop the Netflix Cultural Takeover" that blew the lid off Netflix's scheme.
The piece from One America News Network laid out exactly why this deal threatens America's cultural future.
Netflix already pushes progressive narratives through shows produced by Barack and Michelle Obama — who signed a production deal with the company in 2018.
Now they want to absorb Warner Bros' iconic franchises and HBO's prestige programming.
Conservative commentator Laura Loomer warned "CNN will be transformed into the Obama News Network, featuring shows hosted by Michelle Obama where she lectures Americans about how racist and sexist we are" if the deal goes through.
Right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson called it "the most dangerous media consolidation in American history" that would deliver "a monopoly on children's entertainment" to "the Democrat super-donors that run Netflix."
The Trump Administration is viewing the deal with "heavy skepticism" according to senior officials.
Larry Ellison's Paramount offers real alternative
While Netflix tries to build a woke streaming monopoly, there's a better option on the table.
Paramount Skydance — led by David Ellison and backed by his billionaire father Larry Ellison — is offering $30 per share in all-cash for the entirety of Warner Bros Discovery.
That's $108.4 billion compared to Netflix's $72 billion for just the studios and streaming assets.
Larry Ellison is a Trump ally and one of America's most successful businessmen.
The elder Ellison provided an irrevocable personal guarantee of $40.4 billion to prove this deal has real financial backing.
The contrast couldn't be starker.
Netflix wants to cherry-pick Warner Bros' valuable assets while spinning off CNN and other cable networks into a separate company.
Paramount wants to buy the whole thing and run it as a traditional studio.
Warner Bros Discovery's board has rejected Paramount's offer eight times.
They keep insisting Netflix's deal is "superior" despite Paramount offering more money per share.
Netflix's all-cash switch reeks of desperation
The move to all-cash eliminates the stock component from Netflix's original December offer.
What they're really doing is trying to outmaneuver Paramount's all-cash structure and rush this through before regulators can kill it.
Paramount filed a lawsuit in Delaware demanding Warner Bros Discovery disclose financial details about the Netflix deal.
The company is also nominating its own slate of directors for Warner Bros' board in a proxy fight.
David Ellison wrote to shareholders asking why Warner Bros won't even negotiate when Paramount is offering more money.
A Delaware judge rejected Paramount's attempt to fast-track the lawsuit — a temporary win for Netflix.
But the real battle is in Washington with Trump's regulators.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called the Netflix deal an "antitrust nightmare" — and for once, she's right.
Netflix already has over 300 million subscribers worldwide.
Adding HBO Max's 128 million subscribers would give them roughly 43% of global streaming subscribers.
Cinema United — representing movie theaters worldwide — said the Netflix deal poses an "unprecedented threat" to theatrical releases.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos tried to calm fears by promising a 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros films.
That's still half the traditional 90-day window theaters need to survive.
Conservative coalition fights back against woke monopoly
Paramount's chief legal officer Makan Delrahim — who ran the Justice Department's antitrust division during Trump's first term — wrote to House lawmakers calling the Netflix-Warner Bros combination "presumptively unlawful."
He warned it would "further cement Netflix's dominance in streaming video on demand."
David Ellison has been traveling across Europe meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and officials in Germany and the UK.
His pitch is straightforward — Paramount would maintain theatrical windows and preserve Warner Bros as a traditional studio serving global audiences.
The Trump Administration now holds the keys to this deal's future.
President Trump has made clear he cares about media consolidation and cultural power.
He's not going to rubber-stamp a deal that hands more control to the same progressive elites who spent years attacking him.
Netflix thought they could buy Warner Bros while nobody was paying attention.
Trump called them out.
Now Netflix is desperately trying to salvage a deal that looks more toxic by the day.
Sources:
- Daniella Genovese, "Netflix amends Warner Bros Discovery deal to all-cash offer," Fox Business, January 20, 2026.
- David Faber, "Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal: Likely to adjust offer to all-cash," CNBC, January 14, 2026.
- Alex Sherman, "Paramount Skydance sues Warner Bros. Discovery in hostile takeover attempt," CNBC, January 12, 2026.
- Todd Spangler, "Paramount Skydance Says Larry Ellison Has Made 'Irrevocable Personal Guarantee' of $40.4 Billion Toward Warner Bros. Discovery Bid," Variety, December 22, 2025.
- "Warner Bros. merger fight draws fire across U.S. political divide," Fortune, December 11, 2025.
- Adonis Hoffman, "Too Big, Too Woke, Too Powerful: Why Netflix May Not Be Approved to Buy Warner Bros," One America News Network, January 16, 2026.