David Ellison, the new MAGA-friendly CBS boss, accidentally caught himself in a trap of his own design during an attempt to suck up to Trump.
After skipping out on an invitation to testify before Congress earlier this week by saying he was too busy to come to D.C., Ellison will host a dinner “honoring” Trump and CBS’s news team, inadvertently putting the media mogul in the very place he’s trying to avoid: Capitol Hill.
On Wednesday, the Paramount Skydance CEO declined an invitation to testify before Congress about his controversial $111 billion merger. The very next day, Ellison, 43, was sent a follow-up invitation. This time, he has no excuse.
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Ellison initially dodged Democratic Senator Cory Booker’s invitation by citing a family funeral—though he appeared onstage at Cinemacon the following day. Next week, the media mogul will be on Capitol Hill, hosting an “intimate gathering” in advance of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
While in D.C., Booker, 56, suggested he stop by the Senate to answer a few questions.
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“Mr. Ellison has an invitation to appear before the Senate when he is in Washington next week,” Booker told the Status newsletter. “As the ranking member of the Antitrust Subcommittee, I have requested information to address concerns about the merger’s effects on the entertainment and media industries.”
“If the merger is as beneficial as Paramount claims, a public forum is an opportunity for Mr. Ellison to make his case before the American public,” the third-term Senator continued, citing Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos’s Senate appearance on the same merger in February.
The Daily Beast has contacted Paramount with a request for comment.
Paramount’s hostile, hundred-billion-dollar bid won the streamer the tentative right to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, beating out Netflix’s already agreed-upon deal with the Hollywood conglomerate.
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On Thursday, Netflix boasted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, bolstered by the $2.8 billion breakup fee from Paramount.
Though Paramount’s proposal was accepted by WBD, it will still need federal approval to proceed. Since taking the helm of the studio last summer, Ellison has sought favor with President Trump to facilitate the deal.
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The invitation for Ellison’s dinner “honoring” Trump and CBS’s news team next week revealed that it will be held at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
Status’ Oliver Darcy said the dinner “flies in the face of obvious news ethics.”
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“At the very least, the optics are terrible. Paramount wishes to convince the world that it is not in bed with Trump, but events like this suggest the opposite,” he added.
As of now, Booker’s invitation is just that: an invitation.
With Republicans holding a Senate majority—which could be contested during the upcoming midterm elections—the Democratic Senator is required to seek the opposing party’s approval to officially subpoena Ellison. If Democrats win a majority in the Senate, Booker’s request could become a legal demand.
Until then, Ellison can continue to dodge any unofficial congressional requests, whether he’s in town to dine with Trump or not.
