MAGA influencer Benny Johnson has made unsubstantiated claims that former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are attempting to take over the media, following Netflix's announcement of an $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal, which includes HBO Max, was announced on Friday but is not yet final, with some critics raising antitrust concerns, according to Reuters.
Johnson, who has a combined 10 million followers on X and YouTube, made the remarks during an appearance on Fox Business. He pointed to the Obamas' production deal with Netflix, signed in 2018, and accused them of producing 'woke documentaries.' He also noted that Susan Rice, a former national security adviser under the Obama administration, sits on Netflix's board of directors.
'So this is simply the Obamas trying to take over all of media, it should be stopped cold by antitrust at the DOJ,' Johnson said. In a follow-up post on X, he claimed that the Obamas, Rice and 'DNC mega-donors' would gain control over classic Warner Bros. franchises such as Batman and Harry Potter.
Netflix said in a statement that the acquisition 'brings together two pioneering entertainment businesses, combining Netflix’s innovation, global reach and best-in-class streaming service with Warner Bros.’ century-long legacy of world-class storytelling.' The Obamas' production company, Higher Ground Productions, has partnered with Netflix on more than a dozen projects since 2018, including critically acclaimed films and documentaries.
The Independent has contacted the Obama Foundation and Netflix for comment. The claims made by Johnson have been widely dismissed as baseless, with no evidence to support the assertion of a media takeover by the Obamas.
