Hegseth says he’s eager for Ellison to take over CNN, fueling anxieties over changes at cable network

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his approval of Paramount taking ownership of CNN on Friday, a statement that may worry some within the network.

Hegseth stated during a morning news segment that he believes David Ellison should become the network’s leader as quickly as possible.

I have to say, hearing Hegseth mention the CEO of Paramount Skydance – the company poised to run CNN after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger – really struck a nerve. It just fueled the worry that CNN might start bending over backwards to avoid crossing the Trump administration. It feels like a clear signal of what could be coming, and honestly, it’s a little unsettling.

Pete Hegseth, known for his strong opinions, criticized CNN’s coverage of the recent U.S. military action in Iran. CNN reported that the Trump administration didn’t fully anticipate how the attack would affect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a point other news organizations have also made. Attacks by Iranian drones have blocked oil tankers from passing through the Strait, which has led to higher gas prices.

“CNN doesn’t think we thought of that,” Hegseth said. “It’s a fundamentally unserious report.”

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Major changes are coming to two TV news organizations as they combine under new ownership. These changes include potential job losses and pressure to appeal to Donald Trump.

Paramount didn’t respond to comments made by Hegseth, a former Fox News host known for criticizing traditional media outlets. CNN stated they support their reporting.

Donald Trump is friends with Keith Ellison’s father, Larry, and they’ve apparently talked about potential changes at CNN after Paramount completes its acquisition. It’s unusual for someone in a high-ranking government position to openly share expectations like this.

Donald Trump, who has often criticized CNN, publicly stated he wants Paramount to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery instead of Netflix. He believes this would result in CNN being owned by the Ellison family.

David Ellison, in his final public comments regarding CNN, stated his goal is for the network to focus on reporting the truth and promised that company leaders wouldn’t influence its news coverage.

Speaking on March 5th, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison praised CNN as a strong brand with a talented team. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the network’s journalistic independence and pledged ongoing support for its journalists, according to CNBC.

Paramount is working to overcome concerns that its news coverage will lean conservative now that David Ellison’s Skydance Media owns CBS. Ellison’s first major decision was appointing Bari Weiss, who has no background in television news, as the head of the network’s news department. He also bought Weiss’s online publication, The Free Press, which is a centrist news source known for criticizing the political left and strongly supporting Israel.

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After Netflix finalized the purchase of Warner Bros., the Ellisons and their colleagues immediately started planning how to regain their position.

Bringing on Weiss was intended to help Skydance’s purchase of Paramount get approved by regulators last year. Recently, CBS News has faced criticism over concerns that its reporting is becoming biased to favor the current administration.

Several CBS News journalists have left the network because they were dissatisfied with the current leadership. Scott MacFarlane, who covers the Justice Department and announced his departure Monday, was reportedly especially upset with how CBS News covered the anniversary of the January 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol – the riot carried out by supporters of Donald Trump who were trying to challenge the results of the 2020 election.

Anderson Cooper has decided not to renew his contract with “60 Minutes,” where he’s worked as a reporter since 2007. However, because of the merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and CNN, he will remain with the company.

Norah O’Donnell’s start as anchor of “CBS Evening News” wasn’t without its challenges. Several segments in the first week, including a report on the January 6th Capitol attack, received criticism. She also postponed a “60 Minutes” story about a prison in El Salvador used to hold undocumented migrants, and when it finally aired, it hadn’t changed much. This delay led to accusations that she was trying to appease the White House, but CBS refuted those claims.

Despite the recent debate, some people familiar with CBS News believe their coverage of most stories hasn’t really changed much.

Our network was one of the first to reveal that U.S. soldiers injured in a drone attack in Kuwait suffered more severe injuries than the government originally acknowledged.

CBS News is hiring Jeremy Adler, a former senior advisor to Liz Cheney—a well-known critic of Donald Trump—to manage communications for their coverage of the Weiss investigation. Sources with knowledge of the hiring process were not permitted to discuss it on the record.

According to Axios, White House officials are upset that Adler has joined the network, likely because Cheney was a key member of the committee investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

Liz Cheney, whose father was Vice President Dick Cheney, and known for her conservative views while in Congress, actually voted for Kamala Harris in the 2020 presidential election, rather than supporting Donald Trump.

From 2019 to 2023, Adler worked as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Communications Advisor to Cheney. Before that, in 2016, he was a regional press secretary for Marco Rubio during his campaign for president. Rubio is now the Secretary of State.

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2026-03-13 23:32