Trump threatened Netflix with "consequences" unless it fired board member Susan Rice amid pending Warner Bros. deal

On February 21, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Netflix "should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences," attaching a post from activist Laura Loomer attacking Rice. Trump called Rice — a Netflix board member since 2018 and a former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser under Presidents Obama and Biden — a political hack with "no talent or skills," and asked "how much is she being paid, and for what???" The post came after Rice said on the "Stay Tuned with Preet" podcast that corporations that "take a knee" to Trump would be "held accountable" once Democrats regain power.

Trump did not specify what the "consequences" would be, but the threat landed while Netflix's proposed $82 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets awaited Justice Department antitrust clearance — regulatory leverage Trump had referenced before regarding the deal, saying Netflix "is a great company... but it's a lot of market share, so we'll have to see what happens." The demand echoed one Trump made the previous fall, when he called on Microsoft to fire its president of global affairs, Lisa Monaco, after Loomer similarly targeted her; Microsoft did not comply, and Monaco remained at the company.

Updates

2026-02-26 — Netflix withdrew from the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war [3, 4]

Five days after Trump's threat, Netflix withdrew from the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition after Warner Bros. Discovery's board deemed a competing Paramount Skydance offer a "superior proposal." Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a joint statement that the deal was "no longer financially attractive" at the price needed to match Paramount's bid, citing financial discipline rather than the regulatory review or Trump's demand. The withdrawal ended the Justice Department-reviewed transaction that had been the leverage point in Trump's threat; Netflix did not fire Rice.