For many years, Donald Trump has trashed CNN and has taught his loyal followers to do the same.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, angry chants of “CNN sucks!” reverberated at his campaign rallies, and he still jumps at every opportunity to disparage star CNN journalists such as Kaitlan Collins.

He charges that the cable network is dishonest and biased against him, although in truth, the network goes out of its way to give voice to his lies with pro-Trump pundits like Scott Jennings.

But now, for Trump, a greater relief may be within his grasp.

On Thursday, his rich and powerful friends at Paramount Skydance moved closer to acquiring CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

It’s not yet a done deal and there are regulatory battles ahead, especially as state attorneys general get involved, but, for Trump and his allies, the signs are encouraging.

In simplest terms, Paramount managed to send another suitor packing. Netflix already had the approval of the Warner Bros board, and it looked for a while as if the entertainment giant would withstand a renewed bidding war.

But on Thursday, Netflix dropped its bid. The decision-makers walked away, saying it would have been nice to make the deal but not an absolute necessity.

We don’t know exactly what went on behind the scenes, but it certainly appears that Trump had a hand in the way........

© The Guardian