Oracle executive chairman and Donald Trump friend Larry Ellison discussed with one White House official possibly axing CNN hosts Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar should David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance purchase CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a report from The Guardian.
The White House would reportedly like to see Paramount succeed in its quest to purchase WBD and there have supposedly been informal discussions about potential names of who could replace Burnett, as well as the idea of CBS’ “60 Minutes” airing on CNN. President Donald Trump himself dislikes both hosts, according to the report.
TheWrap has reached out to CNN, Paramount, Oracle and the White House for comment.
While Larry has no formal role in his son David’s business, he holds a large stake in the media company and has reportedly pledged to help fund any purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. It also underscores another potential pledge from the Ellisons to the White House after Trump claimed they promised millions in free advertising as part of Paramount’s $16 million settlement with him over his lawsuit against CBS.
The Ellisons have ingratiated themselves with Trump during the president’s second term. The Oracle co-founder was pictured at the White House in February alongside media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, while Trump has publicly praised David as “great” and has said CBS News will be “fairer” under his leadership. Oracle is also part of the consortium that will own an American version of TikTok.
Paramount is preparing its latest bid for the whole of Warner Bros. Discovery ahead of the latter’s Thursday deadline for first-round bids. Other buyers preparing bids include Comcast and Netflix, both of which are solely interested in its studio and streaming business.
