CNN Hosts Set to Face the Axe if Trump Gets His Way: Inside the Secret Discussions With the White House... as Billion Dollar Takeover Bid Looms
Billionaire Larry Ellison may be in President Trump's ear... and CNN may pay dearly.
Nov. 20 2025, Published 7:50 p.m. ET
CNN may see some of its top talent booted if President Trump gets his way, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to a report, the White House is believed to have discussed the benefits of Paramount Skydance acquiring Warner Bros Discovery, with Paramount's largest shareholder, and MAGA supporter, Larry Ellison, possibly pulling the strings to their liking.
CNN Talent Getting the Boot?
Billionaire Trump supporter Larry Ellison is said to have suggested axing CNN hosts Trump isn't a fan of.
Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, keeps in contact with the White House, and one conversation is said to have focused on how to axe from CNN if Paramount reels in Warner Bros Discovery.
Some of those names? Hosts Trump is believed to hate, including Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar. While the discussion was described as informal by sources, since Ellison does not have a formal role at Paramount, his son, David, still runs the company, giving the elder Ellison plenty of pull.
Paramount is believed to be in the best position to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, after the entertainment company announced last month it was open to offers. Paramount, as well as other companies, have until Thursday, November 20, to submit non-binding, first-round bids.
Other giant companies, including Amazon, Comcast, and Netflix, have reportedly shown interest in throwing their hat into the ring as well.
Trump's Preferred Pick
Trump is believe to prefer Paramount buying Warner Bros. Discovery, as Ellison's son, David Ellison, runs Paramount.
Paramount Skydance is "offering nearly all cash, 80 percent of its bid, no leakage and regulatory certainty," one person involved in the process claimed. "They're selling the WBD board that by going with them, they have a bird in hand and vast uncertainty with the others."
Some believe the purchase price will end up at $70billion, as Trump has made it clear he would prefer to see Paramount, with his "friends" Larry and David, coming out on top.
Trump and his loyal team are seen to have a favorable view of Paramount, mainly in part to the controversial politician's $16million settlement they made with Trump after he sued the company for $10billion and accused them of deceptively editing a 60 Minutes interview with his rival Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The President V. His Rivals
CNN talent like Erin Burnett, who the president doesn't like, may get the axe if Paramount ends up buying Warner Bros.
Following the settlement, CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was cancelled, as the comedian called out Paramount's decision.
Trump was not shy about his glee following the late-night show's axing, boasting on Truth Social, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. He also joked about another vocal anti-Trump late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, who "has even less talent than Colbert!”
Kimmel, 58, saw his show taken off the air for a few days following his Charlie Kirk comments, before returning to the small screen.
Trump has also not been shy about his dislike for CNN personalities, including Burnett. Previously, he went off on the popular TV host after she hit back at his remark about migrants, comparing it with Adolf Hitler's rhetoric.
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Trump has been open about his dislike for various TV hosts over his presidential terms.
The former reality star had blasted immigrants and claimed they were "poisoning the blood of our country." Following Burnett's pushback, Trump went off.
"Ratings challenged Erin Burnett, the Fake News CNN Host(ess?) who is constantly and very boringly reporting false and semi-inflammatory stories about your favorite President, used to call me, over and over again, in my prior, beautiful, and very simple life, to get herself on The Apprentice, 'a ratings phenomenon," Trump claimed on social media.
He raged: "She would do ANYTHING! I let her on the show a number of times, but her calls didn't stop, and I finally told her, 'Sorry, no more.'"
Trump concluded: "The fact is she was not smart, and very boring, much like she is today on her soon-to-be-canceled show, put it to sleep! Anyway, just saying."
