President Donald Trump traverse on Saturday report that he had ordered the Department of Justice to kibosh the $ 85.4 billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner unless the combined companysells off Turner Broadcasting , a group of cable television channels which includes Trump ’s hated arch - enemy CNN .
PerRecode , Trump told newsman on Air Force One that he “ did n’t make that determination — it was made by a military man who ’s a very well-thought-of person , a very , very respected mortal . ”
The functionary the president referred to was DOJ anti - trust honcho Makan Delrahim , a Trump appointee who has threatened toblock the deal in courtunless AT&T sell off either Time Warner ’s Turner Broadcasting or its DirecTV service — the latter option unsufferable as it would undermine the entire basis of the merger . As theNew York Timesnoted , Delrahim insists any decision would be made on the basis of protect competition in the market place rather than political sympathies , though the intervention is a surprise give his “ more complimentary - food market - orient Republican views . ”
The DOJ ’s review process is presuppose to be independent , though its about - face on the merger has struck even many Democrats who oppose a combined AT&T and Time Warneras leery . According toReuters , one of the parties allegedly interested in develop a spun - off CNN is good - offstage medium kingpin and Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch , which would enkindle its own obvious anti - trust issue as well as concerns the new possession would attempt to make CNN ’s insurance coverage of the president a little more toadyish .
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has denied that his companywould ever trade CNN , whileVanity Fairreported some in media are speculating Murdoch has been quietly urge on Trump to tank the merger in retaliation for Time Warner declining an $ 80 billion buyout offer in 2014 .
However , the proposed fusion as it stand shouldprobably be killedeither agency . permit one of the Carry Amelia Moore Nation ’s big telecom company to merge with one of its largest mass spiritualist conglomerates would create a terrifying corporate behemoth capable of browbeat many of its rival into the ground , right at the same fourth dimension regulators like theFederal Communications Commissionare increasingly prepared to let such companies just do whatever they want .
[ Recode ]
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