Trump Targets Netflix Board Member, Warns of ‘Consequences’
US President Donald Trump has issued a warning demanding the removal of Susan Rice from the board of streaming giant Netflix, stating that the company would otherwise face “consequences.” The news was reported by TechCrunch.
In a post shared Saturday (February 21) on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Netflix should immediately fire racist and Trump-deranged Susan Rice, or else suffer the consequences. She has no talent or skill—just a pure political hack. Her power is gone and not coming back. How much is she being paid and for what?”
The backdrop to Trump’s remarks stems from a recent statement by Rice. Having served in diplomatic and advisory roles under former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Rice said in the “Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara” podcast that corporations which have “bowed down” to the current administration would be “held accountable” if Democrats return to power.
Rice stated, “If these corporations think that Democrats will return to power and play by the old rules and forgive everything, they should think again.” In response, Trump criticized her remarks and also shared a post by right-wing activist Laura Loomer. Loomer claimed that a Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery merger would create a “streaming monopoly” in which the Obamas would hold a significant stake.
Trump’s warning comes as Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery awaits approval from the US Department of Justice. The Justice Department has already launched an in-depth investigation into the $72 billion deal, particularly examining its potential impact on competition and Netflix’s market power. It has been reported that Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos met with Trump last November before the deal was announced.
However, in an interview earlier this month, Trump said he would not be personally involved in the approval process and that the Justice Department would handle the matter.
Although Trump did not specify what “consequences” he was referring to, analysts note that large transactions such as the Warner Bros. acquisition require approval from federal regulators. Netflix has not yet issued any official statement regarding Trump’s warning.
DBTech/BMT/OR
