Donald Trump attended David Ellison’s pre-White House Correspondents’ Dinner event Thursday evening, hours after the Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the merger with Paramount Skydance.
The president’s official schedule highlighted that he planned to attend a “private dinner” on Thursday at 7:15 p.m., an event which would be “closed” to the press. While no additional details were shared regarding the dinner, multiple media outlets reported that it was for Ellison’s private dinner in Washington, D.C.
Word of the dinner first broke last week, when it was reported that the Thursday meal would be held at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace — which the State Department renamed after the president last year— and meant to honor the president and CBS News’ White House reporters. Trump’s appearance at the invitation-only event came right after Paramount Skydance overcame a major hurdle in its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Yet, as the deal is still pending federal regulatory review, with state attorneys general currently weighing legal action, Trump’s presence appeared to reiterate his past support of the merger.
Paramount and WBD both expect the deal to close by the third quarter. However, in the event the transaction does not close by Sept. 30, WBD shareholders will receive a 25 cent per share “ticking fee” for each quarter until closing. Additionally, in the event that the deal does not close due to regulatory issues, Paramount will have to pay WBD a $7 billion termination fee.
“Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, building on our successful equity and debt syndications and progress across regulatory approvals,” Paramount said in a statement following Thursday’s vote. “We look forward to closing the transaction in the coming months and realizing the creation of a next-generation media and entertainment company that better serves both the creative community and consumers.”
Still, many in Hollywood and D.C. have spoken out against the merger, citing antitrust concerns, possible job decreases, freedom of speech protections and more. In fact, following the shareholder vote, a coalition of advocacy groups issued a joint statement calling for the merger to be stopped.
“A-list stars, professionals from every corner of the film and entertainment industry, elected officials and concerned citizens have made their voices heard: the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger must be stopped,” the joint statement read. “And it can be.”
Ellison, who is the current owner of CBS News, would also oversee CNN, a network often criticized by the president, once the merger concludes.
The post Trump Attends David Ellison’s Private DC Dinner After WBD Shareholders Approve Paramount Merger appeared first on TheWrap.
