Trump Remakes Hollywood Power Politics in Warner Bros. Fight

There’s no place Donald Trump would rather be than smack in the middle of a billion-dollar Hollywood showdown. And with the ongoing fight for control of Warner Bros., he’s getting his wish. A Paramount–Netflix battle for the iconic studio isn’t just a corporate tug-of-war — it’s a political moment tailor-made for Trump’s America.

Regardless of which company ultimately prevails, there’s one certainty: if they want to succeed in the court of public opinion — and with the regulatory scrutiny coming from the Trump Administration — they will need to win over Trump’s base. In this era, it won’t be Hollywood lawyers and Wall Street bankers who matter most. It will be the millions of Americans who see themselves ignored by the coastal media and who believe Hollywood has lost touch with American values.

This deal will be judged by policymakers, but politics will play just as much of a role as economics.

The Reality: A Winner Still Faces Trump

Let’s be clear. If Netflix fends off Paramount, they haven’t won. They will still need to make their case to the Trump Administration, and they can’t do it the way they have historically operated — by leaning on creative autonomy, Silicon Valley innovation and global content. None of that will resonate with the populist voters who felt vilified by
media elites for years. A Netflix victory doesn’t end the political drama — it begins it.

Even before this merger fight, Netflix has faced loud accusations from MAGA supporters of being a “woke” corporation that uses its programming to promote values disconnected from middle America. That perception matters. If Netflix winds up controlling Warner Bros., they will have to dispel — or at least address — a branding
issue that they themselves never asked for but now cannot ignore.

Paramount, meanwhile, carries its own baggage. While it may have more traditional studio credibility, Trump has not forgotten that Paramount-owned CBS News’ 60 Minutes aired a widely discussed interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. In private conversations, Trump allies still bristle that the interview was handled in a way they
viewed as unfair, reinforcing a suspicion that the corporate parent company cannot be trusted to treat conservatives with respect.

If Paramount succeeds in a hostile takeover and secures shareholder approval, they would have no time to waste. They will inherit not only a historic media brand — but a deep political sensitivity from a Trump movement that will expect assurances that Warner Bros. will not be used as a cudgel against conservatives.

The Only Playbook That Works: America First

Whether it’s Netflix or Paramount that ends up steering Warner Bros., they will need
more than a financial strategy. They’ll need a political strategy.

And the ones who lean into America First will have the advantage.

That doesn’t mean turning Warner Bros. into MAGA Studios — nobody should expect The Dark Knight to be recast as a Trump biopic. But it does mean:

• Demonstrating that Warner Bros. is committed to jobs on American soil
• Investing in U.S. production capacity, not overseas replacements
• Championing American creators who are shut out of the storytelling pipeline
• Creating opportunities for small production firms across the heartland
• Developing programming that reflects America’s diversity — including rural and working-class audiences

The winning bidder must show that Warner Bros. isn’t just a Hollywood institution — it’s an American institution.

Trump Doesn’t Just Watch Deals. He Shapes Them.

This is the key difference between the Biden years and the Trump years. Trump doesn’t sit on the sidelines of high-profile corporate mergers. He inserts himself into the public debate. He comments on deals. He influences public reaction. He uses his platform to weigh in on what’s good for America and what’s not.

And the companies involved should assume the same now.

If either of these companies believe they can quietly finalize a merger and simply send a lobbyist or two to Washington afterward, they’re delusional. Trump’s view on this deal will be shaped in the open — on social media, in press interviews, and through the voices of his base.

Hollywood Has a Blind Spot — and This Deal Exposes It

For decades the major studios crafted content with an eye toward awards voters, critics’ panels, coastal media columns and global markets. Suddenly, they will be forced to consider America’s most politically energized audience: Trump’s voters.

If Netflix wants a chance, it must overcome the perception that it is “woke.” If Paramount wants a chance, it must repair the trust gap created by CBS’s treatment of MTG. Neither company can ignore these realities.

And if they fail to engage the base? The Biden-era playbook of lobbying compliance officers and quietly negotiating terms won’t save them. They will lose the public narrative.

This merger isn’t just about streaming rights, content libraries, or global production strategy. It’s about who influences the culture of America. Trump knows it. His supporters know it. The companies pursuing Warner Bros. better figure it out quickly.

The Bottom Line

This is a once-in-a-generation entertainment clash that will be judged not just on shareholder value, but on political value. Whoever wins the bidding war will still need to win something far more important: the support of the America First movement.

Because in 2026, the path to approval doesn’t run through Hollywood or Wall Street.

It runs through Trump Country.