Trump Tells Netflix, Pursuing Warner Bros. Deal, to "Oust Obama-Era Official"

President Donald Trump of the United States has demanded that Netflix remove Susan Rice, former National Security Advisor who held key posts in the Obama and Biden administrations, from its board of directors. His remarks are drawing attention as they come at a time when Netflix is seeking to acquire Warner Bros., a major Hollywood distributor.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, Yonhap News

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 21st (local time) that President Trump warned on the social media platform Truth Social, saying, "Netflix must immediately fire Rice, a racist and 'Trump Deranged' former advisor," and adding, "If not, they will pay a price." He also denounced Rice as the "political henchman" of the Obama and Biden administrations.

The controversy was triggered by Rice's recent remarks. On a podcast, she said, "If the Democratic Party returns to power, we must not forgive or forget the companies that knelt before Trump," adding, "Law firms, universities, the media, big corporations, and big tech all need to act from a long-term perspective, not as a short-term skirmish."

Trump's comments came just as Netflix entered the race to acquire Warner Bros., a major Hollywood studio. Netflix is pursuing a merger and acquisition (M&A) deal with Warner Bros. worth 72 billion dollars (about 106 trillion won), and for the deal to go through, it must pass an antitrust review by the U.S. Department of Justice. Netflix has not released an official statement on President Trump's remarks, but analysts say the company has been placed in an awkward position as political pressure is now being added to the antitrust review it faces. Rival Paramount has submitted an acquisition proposal worth 77.9 billion dollars, including additional assets such as CNN.

Warner Bros. is a leading Hollywood studio that owns popular franchises such as "Harry Potter," "The Lord of the Rings," "Superman," "Batman," and "The Matrix." Although it once led the industry, it is now seen as having lost competitiveness as the market has been reshaped around over-the-top (OTT) video streaming services.

Rice served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor under the Obama administration, and as Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) in the Biden administration. During Trump's first term, she was a Netflix director from 2018 to 2021, and she returned to the Netflix board in 2023.