1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to publicly oppose President Trump's inappropriate interference in the Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery merger process. On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social demanding that Netflix "fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences," directly threatening a company engaged in a major regulatory review. This represents a dangerous abuse of executive power that undermines the independence of our antitrust enforcement system. The president has no legal authority to kill media deals except those posing national security threats. The Department of Justice, established as an independent regulatory agency, handles merger reviews and must convince an independent judge to block deals. Yet Trump's public threats create improper pressure on both investors and regulators who may feel compelled to consider political factors rather than competition law and consumer welfare. Trump's pattern of intervention in this process is troubling. He has suggested Netflix's combination with WBD would have "very big market share" and "could be a problem," criticized Paramount for CBS News programming he dislikes, and demanded CNN be sold as part of any deal. These comments reveal he is attempting to manipulate the outcome based on personal grievances rather than legitimate regulatory concerns. His attack on Susan Rice, a Netflix board member and former UN Ambassador, appears designed to punish the company for employing someone he views as a political opponent. The timing matters because both Netflix and Paramount are currently seeking regulatory approval for their competing bids. Trump's threats could influence which deal succeeds based purely on political considerations. The DOJ's antitrust chief Gail Slater resigned earlier this month without explanation, raising further questions about political pressure within the agency. I ask that you speak out against this interference and work to ensure the DOJ maintains its independence in reviewing this merger. The integrity of our regulatory process depends on decisions made according to law, not presidential threats.