U.S. President Donald Trump recently publicly named the streaming media giant Netflix (Netflix), demanding that the company immediately remove board member Susan Rice from her position, and warned Netflix to "suffer the consequences" if it fails to take action, putting the streaming media platform, which is on the verge of a major merger and acquisition, into dual political and business pressure.
The incident stemmed from Rice's recent remarks in an interview on the podcast "Stay Tuned with Preet." Rice is currently a member of the Netflix board of directors. She served as the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States from 2013 to 2017 and the White House Domestic Policy Advisor from 2021 to 2023. She said on the show that some companies and individuals who "knelt down to Trump" in the past did so out of "very narrow self-interest considerations" but are now beginning to realize that "this is not popular, and Trump is not popular either."
Rice further said that if Democrats win the 2026 midterm elections and then the 2028 presidential election, these companies may face what she calls an "accountability agenda." She reminded that companies that have catered to Trump should keep relevant documents and prepare for possible congressional subpoenas. Even if they have not violated the law, they will not be completely immune from the investigation.
The above remarks immediately triggered a strong counterattack from Trump. On Saturday, he posted on the social platform Truth Social: "Netflix should immediately fire Susan Rice, a racist and 'pathological hater of Trump', or face the consequences. She has no talent or ability - she is a political thug! Her power is over and will never come back. How much did she get? What did she do?" The post also attached a screenshot of a related post by right-wing commentator Laura Loomer.
In the post, Loomer quoted Rice's statement about "kneeling to Trump" and linked it to corporate "accountability" issues, while pointing the finger at the ongoing Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery merger deal. She claimed that once Netflix and Warner reach a deal, it will likely form a de facto monopoly in the streaming media field, and claimed that former President Obama and his wife, through their production company Higher Ground Productions, will use this to have a huge influence on content distribution. In the post, Loomer @NFLX’s official account and Rice, also named Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, calling for regulatory intervention.
The public outcry comes as Netflix has just announced that it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's film and streaming business for approximately US$72 billion, including leading film and television IPs such as "Harry Potter" and "Game of Thrones" as well as the HBO Max streaming service. The huge deal is seen as a key step in reshaping the U.S. media landscape, and has also raised concerns among regulators that Netflix may form a dominant position in the market. Under the accusations of Loomer and others, the composition of Netflix's board of directors and key figures including Rice are becoming the focus of political public opinion and regulatory attention.
At the same time, reports indicate that the Netflix and Paramount-Skydance camps are still fighting over Warner Bros. Discovery for the right to acquire the company. Trump claimed that he "should not be involved" in this business battle, saying that the U.S. Department of Justice should handle relevant competition and antitrust issues. However, his threat to "fire Rice" this time once again highlights that the corporate governance of the US streaming media and entertainment industries is increasingly being swayed by political games and public sentiment, making Netflix subject to more complex external pressure at key points in promoting major mergers and acquisitions.