Paramount bigwig met Trump to discuss firing CNN hosts the president 'loathes': report

President Donald Trump spoke with Paramount Skydance shareholder and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, one of the richest people on the planet, about the possibility of having CNN anchors Trump doesn't like fired if Paramount Skydance acquires Warner Bros. Discovery, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

"The discussions, according to people familiar with the matter, come as Paramount portrays itself as the best bid for Warner Bros Discovery, after the company announced last month it was open to offers, because it would have an easier time getting through regulatory review," said the report, noting that the administration itself favors this acquisition.

"Ellison often speaks to connections at the White House but, in at least one of the calls, engaged in a dialogue about possibly axing some of the CNN hosts whom Donald Trump is said to loathe, including Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, the people said."

"That discussion, described by people on the condition of anonymity because the issue is sensitive, was characterized as informal since Ellison does not have a formal role at Paramount," noted the report. "Still, he holds a major ownership stake in the company, which is run by his son, David Ellison."

Also on the table in the talks between Trump and Ellison, the report noted, was commingling of CNN and CBS content, including CNN re-airings of "60 Minutes."

This comes after the already-controversial merger between Paramount and Skydance that put Ellison's son in charge of the combined company, including over the CBS network. Right before this merger was approved, CBS executives settled a widely-considered frivolous lawsuit by Trump, which accused the network of fraud for editing former Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign interview — triggering speculation that the settlement was effectively a bribe to grease the wheels of the merger.

Since taking office, Trump has cut many such deals with large institutional groups, including law firms that represented clients challenging him, although many of those deals appear to be falling apart.