Dozens of protesters, including members of Congress, gathered along the National Mall on Thursday to protest an intimate dinner hosted by Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison in celebration of the First Amendment and honoring the Trump White House and CBS White House Correspondents, attended by Donald Trump.
Background of the Controversy
Paramount has faced criticism for the dinner, which some view as illustrating the cozy relationship between the Ellisons and the White House, particularly as the Trump administration weighs approval of the company's $110bn merger with CNN parent company WarnerBros Discovery. The dinner precedes Saturday's White House correspondents' dinner, which Trump will attend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to sit at one of the many tables bought by CBS News for the event.
Shareholder Approval and Regulatory Hurdles
Earlier Thursday, WBD shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the merger, which still requires approval from the Department of Justice and European regulators.
Congressional Criticism
US representative Jamie Raskin, a vocal critic of the Ellisons' ownership of CBS News, referred to the event as a lavish oligarch's dinner for Donald Trump. We are gathered here tonight because in the building behind us, David Ellison is hosting a dinner to honor President Trump, a dinner designed to cement the Ellisons to the president in their years-running corrupt merger scheme, Raskin said.
The representative stated that the merger, which would bring numerous television networks under Ellison control, was crafted to consolidate old and new media in the interests of the Maga movement and the Donald Trump family.
Right now, you have David Ellison probably as I speak in that building right behind me raising a glass to his friend, his supporter, his patron, Donald Trump, said Becca Balint, the Democratic Vermont lawmaker and a member of the House antitrust subcommittee. Think about that for a moment. We are out here demanding accountability, which we have a right to do, not just as members of Congress, but the people have a right to do. While we do the work of the people, of the people, by the people, and for the people, inside they are celebrating power and corruption.
Protest and Future Actions
Speakers encouraged the crowd not to give up hope on blocking the merger, with many antitrust experts viewing a lawsuit from a coalition of state attorneys general as the most likely vehicle for doing so.
Norm Eisen, founder of Democracy Defenders Action, said Thursday's dinner honoring the Trump administration resembles a celebration of the First Amendment the same way a book burning is a celebration of the written word. That has nothing to do with celebrating the First Amendment, he added. You all are celebrating the First Amendment by being here to block the merger.
