President Trump publicly urged Netflix (NFLX) to remove former national security adviser Susan Rice from its board, intensifying political tensions as the streaming giant seeks government approval for a massive acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) entertainment assets.
“Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social, referring to Rice as a “political hack.”
The president’s remarks followed criticism from conservative activist Laura Loomer, who argued that Rice’s presence at Netflix (NFLX) should prompt Trump to oppose the company’s pending deal with Warner (WND). Loomer has previously campaigned to remove officials she considers insufficiently aligned with Trump’s agenda.
Rice recently appeared on a podcast hosted by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, where she said Democrats should not “forgive or forget” companies that “bent the knee” to Trump if they regain power.
“Whether you’re a law firm, whether you’re a university, whether you’re a media entity, whether you’re a big corporation, whether you’re Big Tech, you need to play a long game, not this short game that has been so detrimental,” she said.
The controversy comes at a sensitive moment for Netflix (NFLX). The company is pursuing a $72 billion agreement to acquire Warner’s film and television studios along with the HBO Max streaming service. The transaction requires review and clearance from the Justice Department, which has been examining whether the merger would consolidate too much power in the streaming market.
At the same time, Netflix (NFLX) faces competition from Paramount (PSKY), which has launched a hostile $77.9 billion bid for all of Warner, including its cable networks such as CNN and TNT. Warner recently granted Paramount a seven-day period to submit what it described as a “best and final” proposal. That window closes Monday. Under the terms of its agreement, Netflix would have the opportunity to match a competing offer.
Rice previously served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and was national security adviser under President Obama. She joined Netflix’s (NFLX) board in 2018, departed in 2021, and returned in 2023. She also formerly served as a general trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Trump named himself chair of the Washington arts institution last year, and the White House announced in December that it would be rebranded as the Trump-Kennedy Center, a move Democrats have challenged, arguing the board lacks authority to rename a congressionally established memorial.
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