Netflix CEO to Meet with White House After Trump Threats

Ted Sarandos will make his own address to the president, two days after his rival CEO cheered on the president's State of the Union.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Fresh off his rival CEO's night cheering on President Trump's State of the Union address, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos will travel to Washington to argue his case for a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Sarandos, 61, is locked in a heated faceoff against Trump-friendly Paramount CEO David Ellison, 43, for the acquisition of WBD. Ellison has launched an aggressive all-cash rebuttal, including an additional $2.8 billion to cover the cost of exiting the already agreed-upon Netflix deal. The total bid now exceeds $108 billion.

Why it matters

The high-stakes battle for control of Warner Bros. Discovery has become politically charged, with President Trump weighing in and threatening Netflix's CEO. The outcome could have major implications for the future of the media landscape, as well as the balance of political influence in the industry.

The details

On Thursday, Sarandos will attend meetings at the White House to discuss the deal. It remains unclear whether Trump will meet with Sarandos directly, but if he does, it could get contentious, coming just days after the pair traded barbs. Last Saturday, Trump posted a bizarre demand for Sarandos to 'fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences.' In response, Sarandos brushed the president off, saying 'This is a business deal. It's not a political deal.' Alongside direct threats from the president, who has said the Netflix deal could be 'a problem,' Ellison's offensive gameplan has put him on near-equal footing with Netflix.

  • On Tuesday, WBD reopened the possibility of a Paramount merger.
  • In Paramount's Q4 earnings report, Ellison teased his plans to take over news media's preeminent left-wing institution: CNN.
  • Last Saturday, Trump posted a bizarre demand for Sarandos to 'fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences.'

The players

Ted Sarandos

The 61-year-old CEO of Netflix who is locked in a battle with Paramount CEO David Ellison over the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

David Ellison

The 43-year-old CEO of Paramount who has launched an aggressive all-cash rebuttal to Netflix's merger bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, including an additional $2.8 billion to cover the cost of exiting the already agreed-upon Netflix deal.

Donald Trump

The 79-year-old former president of the United States who has weighed in on the battle, threatening Netflix's CEO and saying the deal could be 'a problem.'

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What they’re saying

“This is a business deal. It's not a political deal.”

— Ted Sarandos, CEO, Netflix (The Daily Beast)

“While we are confident in our standalone strategy and growth trajectory for Paramount, we view WBD as an accelerant to achieving these goals more quickly.”

— David Ellison, CEO, Paramount (The Daily Beast)

What’s next

It remains unclear whether Trump will meet with Sarandos directly, but if he does, it could get contentious, coming just days after the pair traded barbs.

The takeaway

The high-stakes battle for control of Warner Bros. Discovery has become politically charged, with President Trump weighing in and threatening Netflix's CEO. The outcome could have major implications for the future of the media landscape, as well as the balance of political influence in the industry.