Jared Kushner, son-in-law to US President Donald Trump, and three Arab monarchies – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates – are playing a pivotal role in the $108 billion bid by Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros Discovery. The deal includes funding from Kushner's private equity firm, Affinity Partners, as well as billions of dollars in investments from these three countries, which has significant implications for US media assets.
Paramount CEO David Ellison argues that his company's offer will face less scrutiny from regulators due to its smaller size compared to Netflix and a friendly relationship with the Trump administration. However, critics argue that Kushner's involvement in the deal raises concerns about foreign influence on US media, particularly given his extensive dealings with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.
Kushner's ties to foreign leaders have been a subject of scrutiny during Trump's presidency. As a senior White House adviser, Kushner declined an official role but continued to engage in high-level diplomacy. His efforts to broker peace agreements, including the Gaza ceasefire, have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.
The deal between Paramount and the three Arab monarchies includes funding for Kushner's firm and significant investments by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, which collectively could control nearly three-fifths of the new company. This has triggered concerns that US regulators may not fully evaluate the potential national security risks associated with this foreign investment.
The involvement of Kushner's firm and Arab states in the Paramount bid is alarming to some lawmakers, who are calling for an investigation into potential foreign influence on US media. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US can still review the deal but may be pressured to ease its scrutiny by the Trump administration, given the president's close ties with the Saudi government.
For the president and his allies, a successful Paramount takeover of Warner Bros could bring benefits beyond just business interests. It would ensure that CNN's parent company has a Trump-friendly owner, potentially silencing critics like Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar who have opposed Trump policies.
Critics argue that such a deal would undermine US democracy and rule of law, where personal access and influence can trump institutional processes. The implications for the US media landscape are significant, with concerns about potential censorship, propaganda, or biased reporting.
As lawmakers continue to scrutinize this deal, it remains unclear whether regulators will prioritize national security or institutional process in their review of this massive foreign investment. One thing is certain: Jared Kushner's involvement in this deal has cast a shadow over US media ownership and the potential for unchecked influence by foreign powers on American democracy.
Paramount CEO David Ellison argues that his company's offer will face less scrutiny from regulators due to its smaller size compared to Netflix and a friendly relationship with the Trump administration. However, critics argue that Kushner's involvement in the deal raises concerns about foreign influence on US media, particularly given his extensive dealings with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.
Kushner's ties to foreign leaders have been a subject of scrutiny during Trump's presidency. As a senior White House adviser, Kushner declined an official role but continued to engage in high-level diplomacy. His efforts to broker peace agreements, including the Gaza ceasefire, have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.
The deal between Paramount and the three Arab monarchies includes funding for Kushner's firm and significant investments by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, which collectively could control nearly three-fifths of the new company. This has triggered concerns that US regulators may not fully evaluate the potential national security risks associated with this foreign investment.
The involvement of Kushner's firm and Arab states in the Paramount bid is alarming to some lawmakers, who are calling for an investigation into potential foreign influence on US media. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US can still review the deal but may be pressured to ease its scrutiny by the Trump administration, given the president's close ties with the Saudi government.
For the president and his allies, a successful Paramount takeover of Warner Bros could bring benefits beyond just business interests. It would ensure that CNN's parent company has a Trump-friendly owner, potentially silencing critics like Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar who have opposed Trump policies.
Critics argue that such a deal would undermine US democracy and rule of law, where personal access and influence can trump institutional processes. The implications for the US media landscape are significant, with concerns about potential censorship, propaganda, or biased reporting.
As lawmakers continue to scrutinize this deal, it remains unclear whether regulators will prioritize national security or institutional process in their review of this massive foreign investment. One thing is certain: Jared Kushner's involvement in this deal has cast a shadow over US media ownership and the potential for unchecked influence by foreign powers on American democracy.
just thought about this deal between Paramount and those Arab countries... like, what's up with Jared Kushner's firm getting all that funding? shouldn't be a biggie but when you got $108 billion at stake it feels sketchy. how much control are these Middle Eastern countries gonna have over our media outlets if they get a chunk of Warner Bros? it's like, we're already seeing some weird stuff with CNN and Trump being buddies... now imagine if Kushner's firm is getting all the say in what gets reported 
This whole deal with Paramount and those Arab monarchies sounds super fishy to me 
. I mean, we're talking about $108 billion here, which is like a lot of money 
. And Jared Kushner's firm, Affinity Partners, is getting funding from all this... it's like, what's the real motive here? 
. I mean, when you have foreign powers like Saudi Arabia and Qatar pouring billions of dollars into a US media company, it's gotta raise some eyebrows 
. He's been involved in some pretty shady dealings, if you ask me 
. I'm not saying he's definitely going to sell out the US or anything... but we need to be careful here 
. That's like, a big red flag waving in my face 
.
. We need to make sure our media companies aren't getting taken over by foreign powers without us even realizing it 
. It's time for some transparency and accountability 
.
. i'm not saying trump is bad or anything, but jared's history with saudi arabia and other arabs does make you wonder if he's putting the interests of his friends over what's best for america 
... are we gonna see more biased reporting or even censorship? 
... it's like, his ties to foreign leaders have been a thing for ages, and now he's got a major stake in US media. It's hard to shake the feeling that this deal is gonna undermine our democracy and rule of law 
.
The fact that Jared Kushner is involved, particularly given his history of brokering peace agreements in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, makes me think that this could be a slippery slope for national security concerns. What if the new owners, with ties to these three countries, begin to exert undue influence on CNN's editorial direction? 
... i'm not saying all foreign investment is bad, but when you're talking about 3/5s of the company being owned by arab states, it gets sketchy 
. The concern about foreign influence on our media is legitimate and shouldn't be waved off.