Trump Slams the Ellisons as Warner Bros. Deal Heats Up: ‘I’d Hate to See My Enemies!’

President Donald Trump publicly criticized David Ellison and Larry Ellison this week, turning a business story into another political fight. His comments were aimed at CBS News and its long-running show “60 Minutes,” which airs on a network owned by Paramount.

Trump shared his frustration in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday. He pushed back on claims that he has a close relationship with the new owners of CBS. He said the program’s coverage of him has only gotten worse since Paramount came under new control.

In his post, Trump wrote, “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 ended the message by saying, “If they are friends, I’d hate to see my enemies!”

The comments come as David Ellison is making bold moves in the media world. After Skydance Media completed its purchase of Paramount Global in August, Ellison quickly shifted his attention to Warner Bros. Discovery.

Over several weeks, Skydance made multiple offers to buy the entire company, raising its price each time. The latest proposal values Warner Bros. Discovery at $30 per share, according to deal details reported publicly.

Ellison’s push intensified after Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to sell its studio business and HBO Max to Netflix in a deal worth more than $80 billion. Days later, Skydance announced it would take its offer straight to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders, a move that bypassed company leadership. The board is now reviewing the proposal.

Trump has also drawn attention by saying he plans to be involved in the federal review of the Warner Bros. deal. This is unusual, since such reviews are typically handled without direct involvement from the president.

When asked about the competing bids during a White House briefing last week, Trump said he had not taken a side. He told reporters, “I don’t know enough about it,” and said he needed to look at how the deals could affect competition in the media market. He added, “I mean, none of them are particularly great friends of mine. You know, I want to do what’s right.”

Trump was also questioned about whether the presence of Affinity Partners, an investment firm led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, played any role in his thinking. Trump responded by saying, “I’ve never spoken with him” about the Warner Bros. bid.

The situation is striking because Trump has often spoken positively about both David and Larry Ellison in the past. Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, is one of the richest people in the world. Trump has even urged Paramount to move forward with projects he personally enjoys, including another film in the “Rush Hour” series.

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