Inside Bari Weiss' Private Meeting With CNN, Bezos' Shocking Comments on The WaPo, MAGA Media's Turn
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon PassantinoShow Notes
CNN and CBS executives are beginning to compare notes as David Ellison's deal moves closer to reality, with senior leaders from both organizations holding integration meetings and weighing what a combined future could look like.
Then, new reporting reveals what Jeff Bezos told Donald Trump behind closed doors about The Washington Post. Bezos reportedly described the paper as his worst investment and complained that its employees don't listen to him, raising fresh questions about his stewardship.
Finally, conservative media figures are turning on Trump's Iran deal. From the Murdoch-owned Fox News and New York Post to Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, and other prominent voices on the right, the backlash is raising questions about whether Trump's grip on conservative media is beginning to loosen.
Plus, it's a new edition of Open Lines. Leave a question in the comments for a chance to be featured on next week's show!
0:00 Intro
1:22 CNN Presents to Bari Weiss and CBS News Ahead of Potential Merger
12:10 Kara Swisher Wants Out at CNN Before Ellison Takeover
18:40 Bezos Blasts WaPo Staff in Private Trump Meeting
30:11 MAGA Media Blasts Trump’s Iran Deal
43:47 Open Lines: Oliver and Jon Answer Your Questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino
On today’s episode:
In a special episode of Power Lines, we publish exclusive audio from a stunning all-hands meeting in which Bari Weiss' handpicked foreign editor, Shayndi Raice, unleashed a lengthy tirade against her own CBS News journalists.
After completing his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison is facing questions about his relationship with Donald Trump and his plans for CNN. Jon shares what happened when he pressed Ellison directly on the Paramount lot, and Oliver reports on Anderson Cooper’s pointed questions for his new boss at an internal company town hall.
The future of CNN is coming into focus…at least for now. David Ellison has opened talks with Mark Thompson about extending his tenure as CNN’s chief. Oliver and Jon break down what the move signals to employees inside the network, what it could mean for CNN’s direction under Ellison, and where it leaves Bari Weiss, both now and down the road.
The anonymous source behind one of the stories that the White House used to justify its press ban was none other than JD Vance himself. We detail our exclusive reporting and get into the latest developments on Donald Trump’s war against the media.