Trump leaves Jake Tapper with cryptic message about CNN's future

President Donald Trump spoke via phone on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday following the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). He seized the opportunity to push his SAVE America Act, attack Democrats, and take a swing at CNN itself. As he made it clear to Jake Tapper that he wasn't willing to take questions on any topic other than Graham, the host requested an interview with the President. While he agreed, Trump left Tapper with a cryptic message on CNN and his future, referring to the recent merger of Paramount, which is owned by Trump ally David Ellison, and Warner Bros. Discovery, which controlled the network.

In the interview, Trump largely spoke about Graham, claiming he and the South Carolina Senator "essentially agreed on almost everything" as he made a case for his voter ID legislation, saying, "Where he was really becoming strong was the SAVE America Act." However, at the end of the interview, the host urged the President to appear for a future interview as he had more questions to ask. "I know you don't want to talk about any other issues out of respect for Lindsey Graham, but we would love to have you back sometime, because I do have a lot of other questions for you," Tapper said. While Trump agreed, he added, "We're trying to have CNN go on a normal path," raising suspicion over Paramount's control over the network. Surprisingly, Tapper, too, agreed, saying, "Well, I'm on a normal path right here, sir," with the President confirming, "You are."

Over nearly five decades, CNN has survived multiple owners and attacks by President Trump, but the recent exchange is sparking speculation about whether the corporate merger that put the 24-hour cable network under the same ownership as CBS News is set for a chaotic transformation. David Ellison, the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison (a Trump ally), controls Paramount after the $110 billion purchase of CNN's parent company. 

While the new owners haven't publicly detailed their plans for CNN, there is intense speculation about the network's future. Much of this stems from Trump's close ties to the ownership group, alongside rumors that Bari Weiss—who currently runs The Free Press—might be tapped to lead CNN. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that the Oracle co-founder had privately told Trump that Paramount could remake CNN if the merger goes through. While Ellison denied the claims, Trump's recent comments and his saying "We" in the Tapper interview signal otherwise. 

Following the Journal's report, a spokesperson told The New York Post that the company made "no commitments from either David or Larry Ellison regarding the future of CNN or any other news property, other than the goal to deliver truth-based journalism." The statement felt weak, as after Paramount assigned Weiss, who had virtually no broadcasting experience before, to CBS News, she reshaped the network, firing the leadership of the channel's flagship, "60 Minutes," several on-air correspondents, and, under her, executives cancelled "The Late Show" and fired Stephen Colbert, a prominent Trump critic.