Trump Officials Discussed With Larry Ellison Axing CNN Anchors Amid Takeover Bid: Report

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Larry Ellison and senior White House officials reportedly discussed axing two CNN hosts President Donald Trump hates most, Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, in a shake-up promised as he courts regulatory approval for a Paramount Skydance takeover of the network’s parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

Ellison, the largest shareholder in Paramount and MAGA ally, remained in frequent contact with figures in President Donald Trump’s orbit, according to The Guardian, and in a recent call not only discussed potentially firing Burnett and Keilar but also discussed ideas for their replacements with senior White House officials.

Sources told the newspaper that Ellison even talked about airing CBS properties such as 60 Minutes on CNN in proposals that were said to draw interest inside the White House.

The exchanges were described as informal, not least because Ellison holds no executive role at Paramount, which is run by his son, David Ellison. But his stake and influence have loomed large as Paramount prepares a full bid for Warner Bros Discovery ahead of a November 20 deadline, following earlier unsuccessful offers.

According to The Guardian, Trump is already viewed as sympathetic to the Ellisons after Paramount paid a $16 million settlement to him for the infamous Kamala Harris 60 Minutes interview last year. Several current and former Washington consultants with ties to the Trump administration previously held contracts with Oracle, where Ellison serves as executive chairman.

The Guardian pointed out that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr previously told its reporters that a Paramount takeover of Warner Bros Discovery would not likely be challenged by him.

“I’d be very surprised if there was an FCC role at all in that type of transaction,” Carr said and added that he was “not focused on the rumor mills around those transactions”.

Paramount, however, faces competition from Comcast and Netflix.