Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos Grilled by Senator Over ‘Trans and LGBT Agenda
In a high-stakes Senate hearing that felt more like a cultural battlefield than a boardroom negotiation, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos found himself defending the streamer’s smallest viewers against the government’s biggest skeptics.
While the primary purpose of the Tuesday session was to discuss the massive antitrust implications of Netflix’s planned $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the conversation quickly veered into the “culture wars.” Senator Josh Hawley led the charge, accusing the streaming giant of using its children’s library as a vehicle for social engineering.
Why is it that so much of Netflix content for children promotes a transgender ideology? Hawley asked, citing data from recent reports suggesting that nearly half of Netflix’s children’s programming contains LGBTQ+ themes.
He continued to press Sarandos, claiming that the platform’s library for minors was so full of a highly s*****, highly controversial, agenda. Sarandos remained steadfast under the line of questioning, repeatedly calling the Senator’s claims inaccurate. He emphasized that the company’s goal is to provide variety rather than a specific viewpoint. We have millions of hours of children’s programming … we feature a wide variety of stories and programs to meet a wide variety of people’s taste, he countered.
Sen. Josh @HawleyMO: Why is it that so much of Netflix's content for children promotes a transgender ideology?
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 3, 2026
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos: Netflix has no political agenda of any kind…We feature a wide variety of stories and programs to meet a wide variety of people's tastes. pic.twitter.com/2JEOqy5De7
To address the Senator’s concerns about parental control, Sarandos pointed to the platform’s internal safeguards. He noted that Netflix has state of the art tools for parents to manage choices and block any title they may be offended by. We are parents at Netflix as well. We share all your concerns about raising kids, he added.
The accusation that Netflix is “pushing a trans agenda” stems largely from a collection of specific animated shows and reboots that have featured LGBTQ+ characters. Critics often point to series like Ridley Jones, which introduced a non-binary bison, or the Baby-Sitters Club reboot, which included a storyline about a transgender child.
Additionally, a recent study from The Oversight Project claimed that over 40% of G-rated content on the platform contains LGBTQ+ messaging, leading politicians like Hawley to argue that these themes are pervasive and “s*****” for an audience too young to process them.
Outside of the Senate halls, Sarandos has been orchestrating the largest merger in media history. The $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery would give Netflix control over iconic franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and the DC Universe. Sarandos recently promised investors that despite the merger, he would maintain a 45-day theatrical window for major Warner Bros. films, a move designed to soothe the anxieties of theater owners.
As the Warner Bros. deal moves toward a final regulatory decision, the tension between streaming giants and legislative oversight continues to grow.
Do you believe streaming platforms should have a responsibility to keep children’s content “neutral,” or is the responsibility solely on parents to use the blocking tools provided in the comments?