Trump vs Netflix: President Threatens Streaming Giant to 'Pay Consequences' Unless It Fires Board Member Susan Rice

President Donald Trump wants Netflix to fire Susan Rice. What he hasn't said is why that matters right now, while the streaming giant's $83 billion (£62 billion) Warner Bros. acquisition sits on the Department of Justice's desk awaiting approval.

The public spat started with a podcast.

Rice, who served as US ambassador to the United Nations under Obama and domestic policy adviser under Biden, appeared on 'Stay Tuned with Preet,' hosted by former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara. Her message to corporations aligning with Trump was blunt.

'It is not going to end well for them,' Rice said. 'This is not going to be an instance of forgive and forget. The damage that these people are doing is too severe.'

Trump fired back on Truth Social over the weekend: 'Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences. She's got no talent or skills — Purely a political hack!'

He didn't specify what those consequences might be. He didn't have to.

The Deal That Needs Washington's Blessing

Netflix announced its intention to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's studios, HBO, and HBO Max in December 2025. The DOJ has since opened a formal antitrust investigation examining whether the merger would violate both the Clayton Act and the Sherman Act — the federal government's primary tools for blocking monopolies.

Here's where it gets interesting. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly met with Trump before the deal went public. Trump told NBC in early February he 'shouldn't be involved' with the merger. That position lasted about two weeks.

Far-right activist Laura Loomer pushed him to act. 'President Trump must kill the Netflix-Warner Bros. merger now,' she wrote on X. Trump's Truth Social post included a screenshot of her message.

Sarandos responded Monday on BBC's Today programme. 'This is a business deal. It's not a political deal,' he said. 'This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the US, and regulators throughout Europe and around the world.'

Asked about Trump's influence, Sarandos brushed it off: 'He likes to do a lot of things on social media.'

325 Million Subscribers Are Watching

Netflix isn't just any company caught in a political crossfire. It serves 325 million paying subscribers worldwide — approaching the entire population of the United States. Any regulatory disruption to the Warner deal could affect content libraries, subscription costs, and thousands of jobs across film and television production.

Theatre owners have already called the proposed merger an 'unprecedented threat' to theatrical distribution. The DOJ wants to know if Netflix holds too much power over independent filmmakers when negotiating content deals. Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders vote on the acquisition on 20 March.

Rival bidder Paramount Skydance claims its competing $108 billion (£80.1 billion) hostile takeover has already cleared the DOJ's Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period.

Translation: Paramount wants shareholders to believe its offer faces fewer regulatory hurdles than Netflix's.

Political Grievance or Calculated Pressure?

This isn't the first time Trump has demanded a company fire someone with Democratic ties. He called for Intel to oust its CEO last August. He pushed Microsoft to remove its president of global affairs in September. Both had served in previous Democratic administrations.

Rice has sat on Netflix's board since 2018. Her warning about corporate accountability landed just as regulators hold Netflix's biggest deal in their hands.

Whether Trump's attack is genuine anger or strategic pressure, one thing is clear. The 'consequences' he mentioned? They don't require a single new executive order. The DOJ review is already underway.

And for Netflix's 325 million subscribers, that review now carries political weight it didn't have last week.