Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos has hit back at Donald Trump after the latter asked for the removal of Susan Rice from the streaming platform’s board. He rebuffed the current President’s rant by reaffirming that the ongoing tussle between Netflix and Paramount over the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery was a business deal and not a political one.
Ted Sarandos addresses Donald Trump’s demand of firing Susan Rice
Speaking with BBC Radio 4’s Today program host Amol Rajan on Monday morning, after attending the BAFTA Film Awards in London, the long-term media executive responded to the POTUS’ stance on Susan Rice’s position on the Netflix board.
Dismissing Donald Trump’s demands, Ted Sarandos remarked, “He likes to do a lot of things on social media.” He then added, “This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal. This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the U.S. and regulators throughout Europe and around the world” (via Variety).
Sarandos’ reply comes after Trump took to his Truth Social profile to urge Netflix to sack Susan Rice from the company’s board. “Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences. She’s got no talent or skills – Purely a political hack! HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK. How much is she being paid, and for what??? Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote on the social media platform.
The businessman-turned-politician also reposted an X (formerly Twitter) post from MAGA influencer Laura Loomer. In it, the political activist had criticized the Netflix executive. The latter further called out Susan Rice for threatening corporations that had taken a knee to Trump. Additionally, Loomer even requested that the president kill the ongoing merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Despite the backlash from influencers such as Loomer, the Netflix-WBD deal is currently in transition.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on Mandatory.
