Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos rejects Trump’s call to oust Susan Rice over $72B Warner Bros deal

WASHINGTON, DC: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos on Monday, February 23, dismissed Donald Trump’s call to remove board member Susan Rice, stressing that the issue is unrelated to Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program, Sarandos framed the matter as a regulatory and business issue rather than a political one.

The comments come as the US Department of Justice reviews Netflix’s multibillion-dollar bid for Warner Bros Discovery’s assets. Over the weekend, Trump used social media to urge Netflix to oust Rice from its board.

Sarandos says deal is ‘Not a Political Deal’

During the interview, Sarandos was asked about Trump’s comments concerning Netflix's pending transaction involving Warner Bros Discovery.

The company has proposed acquiring the studio’s streaming and film assets in a deal valued at approximately $72 billion, which is currently under review by the US Department of Justice and international regulators. “He likes to do a lot of things on social media,” Sarandos said of Donald Trump. “This is a business deal. It's not a political deal. This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the US and regulators throughout Europe and around the world.”

Sarandos described the proposed acquisition as a vertical merger that would expand Netflix’s portfolio. “This is a vertical merger. We're buying assets that we don't currently have a movie studio and a distribution entity,” he said, arguing that the deal would add capacity rather than reduce competition.  

Sarandos said Netflix’s agreement represents growth, pointing to the company’s investment in original programming and job creation. “Our deal is growth,” he said, citing that Netflix has invested billions in production and supported tens of thousands of jobs in the United Kingdom in recent years. 

Netflix executives have stated they are cooperating with regulators.

Chief Legal Officer David Hyman said in a statement that the company operates in an “extremely competitive market.” “Any claim that it is a monopolist, or seeking to monopolize, is unfounded,” Hyman said. “We neither hold monopoly power nor engage in exclusionary conduct and we’ll gladly cooperate, as we always do, with regulators on any concerns they may have.”

Trump's calls to Netflix to fire Susan Rice

Trump on Saturday, February 21, called on Netflix to fire board member Susan Rice or “pay the consequences,” after she said Democrats would push for corporate accountability if they regain power in the November midterm elections.

Trump described Rice, who served as former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy chief and held top foreign policy posts under President Barack Obama, as “purely a political hack” with “no talent or skills,” he wrote. “HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK.” 

Rice argued back that “it is not going to end well” for corporations, news organizations, and law firms that “bent the knee” to Trump, and that their deference is unpopular. “There is likely to be a swing in the other direction, and they are going to be caught with more than their pants down,” Rice said. “They’re going to be held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box.”