President Donald Trump just inserted himself into Hollywood’s biggest corporate showdown—with an all-caps ultimatum.
The 79-year-old president demanded that Netflix boot former national security adviser Susan Rice from its board or face retaliation, escalating pressure on the streaming giant as it chases a $72 billion takeover deal.
“Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social.
“She’s got no talent or skills - Purely a political hack! HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK. How much is she being paid, and for what??? Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.”
The extraordinary demand lands at a precarious moment for Netflix, which is seeking Justice Department approval to acquire key entertainment assets from Warner Bros. Discovery, including its movie and television studios and the HBO Max streaming platform.
Regulators are already scrutinizing whether the tie-up would further cement Netflix’s dominance in the streaming market, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump’s threat now injects politics into what was already one of the year’s most closely watched media deals.
The president’s post came after far-right activist Laura Loomer urged him to block the transaction and singled out Rice as a reason to intervene. Loomer has previously campaigned against officials she claims are insufficiently loyal to Trump.
Rice, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later as national security adviser under President Barack Obama, first joined Netflix’s board in 2018, stepped down in 2021, and rejoined in 2023.
In a recent interview on former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s podcast, Rice said Democrats should not “forgive or forget” corporations that “bent the knee” to Trump when they return to power.
She argued that companies—from law firms to media outlets and tech giants—needed to “play a long game” rather than make short-term concessions.
Meanwhile, the corporate battle is intensifying.
Paramount launched a $77.9 billion bid for the Warner empire, from blockbuster studios to cable staples like CNN. Warner handed Paramount a brief deadline to submit its best offer—after that, Netflix can step in and match it.
Hovering over the boardroom drama is the Justice Department, which must decide whether Netflix’s expansion would further concentrate power in an industry it already dominates. As part of the executive branch, it has the authority to block or impose conditions on major mergers, giving the administration significant leverage over the outcome.
With regulators weighing the fate of the deal, Trump has now publicly targeted a sitting board member—effectively turning a merger review into a loyalty test.
For Netflix, the calculus just got more complicated—win the bidding war or risk crossing the White House.
The White House and Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
