President Donald Trump has backtracked on earlier statements, saying he will not interfere in the Justice Department's review of Netflix's proposed merger with Warner Bros. or Paramount's hostile bid for the company. In an Oval Office interview, Trump emphasized leaving the decision to regulators amid competing claims from both sides. This comes as Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the deal during Senate testimony.
On February 5, 2026, President Donald Trump informed NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas that he has chosen to stay out of his administration's antitrust review of the Netflix-Warner Bros. merger and Paramount's competing hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
“I haven’t been involved,” Trump stated during the Oval Office interview. “I must say, I guess I’m considered to be a very strong president. I’ve been called by both sides. It’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Justice Department will.”
Trump acknowledged the debate surrounding the deal, noting, “there is a theory that one of the companies is too big, and it shouldn’t be allowed to do it. And the other company is saying something else.” He added, “They are beating the hell out of each other, and there will be a winner,” without naming which entity might be deemed too dominant.
This marks a reversal from Trump's December comments to Deadline, where he suggested personal involvement in the government review, diverging from the tradition of presidents maintaining distance from Department of Justice antitrust processes.
The statement follows Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos' testimony on February 4 before the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee. Sarandos defended a meeting with Trump shortly before Netflix announced its Warner Bros. deal, amid scrutiny over potential political influence.
Paramount's bid is reportedly bolstered by ties to the administration through investor Larry Ellison, father of Paramount CEO David Ellison. Trump has publicly praised David Ellison following Skydance's acquisition of Paramount Global.
The ongoing battle highlights tensions in the streaming industry, with regulators poised to decide the outcome.
