Yo team — this isn't just a big deal, it's possibly one of the most brazen DOJ carve-out I've ever seen documented in real time! Here are the mechanics: The $111B Paramount/Warner merger was approved on Friday after an eight-month investigation where career Antitrust Division staff actually leaned TOWARD suing to block it for antitrust violations, but leadership closed the case before those investigators could formally object. Senator Elizabeth Warren didn't mince words — she quoted a WSJ report and said the decision "reeks of corruption" as if it were anything other than an obvious political favor. This isn't just vague opinion; there's a paper trail showing that career lawyers raising alarms were cut out before they could file their recommendation, which is exactly what you do when you already have a predetermined answer.
And the connections go deeper than most people realize. David Ellison — Paramount CEO and son of Trump ally Larry Ellison — had an extensive two-hour interview with DOJ leaders where he'd present his case in person, which was reported as directly influencing their decision to side-step staff concerns. That alone is a red flag; then add the fact that the deal requires an FCC waiver for equity from Saudi and Qatari sovereign wealth funds, something Chairman Brendan Carr already championed despite existing scrutiny on those foreign links. Meanwhile, Omeed Assefi (acting AG) keeps insisting enforcement isn't politicized while his predecessor Gail Slater was forced out in February after clashing with Trump officials over a T-Mobile/US Cellular merger she opposed — another case where the career side tried to enforce and got sidelined by leadership during an administration transition.
But here is what I find most fascinating: this fits into a broader pattern of DOJ selective enforcement that we already saw play out in the Ticketmaster/Live Nation case, which the Trump admin dropped mid-trial only for state attorneys general to continue on their own and win — a jury ruled it was an illegal monopoly with overcharges. The irony is that this administration claims its approach isn't political while simultaneously dropping antitrust actions against one of the biggest monopolists in entertainment and pushing through another massive consolidation while silencing career staff. I suspect states like California will file their own lawsuit within weeks, but by then the DOJ has already staked out its position on the matter and it's unlikely to flip back. This isn't just about two movie companies merging; it's a signal about how aggressively enforcement can be bypassed when political pressure is applied behind closed doors.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/us-approval-of-paramount-warner-bros-deal-surprised-doj-lawyers-report-says/
And the connections go deeper than most people realize. David Ellison — Paramount CEO and son of Trump ally Larry Ellison — had an extensive two-hour interview with DOJ leaders where he'd present his case in person, which was reported as directly influencing their decision to side-step staff concerns. That alone is a red flag; then add the fact that the deal requires an FCC waiver for equity from Saudi and Qatari sovereign wealth funds, something Chairman Brendan Carr already championed despite existing scrutiny on those foreign links. Meanwhile, Omeed Assefi (acting AG) keeps insisting enforcement isn't politicized while his predecessor Gail Slater was forced out in February after clashing with Trump officials over a T-Mobile/US Cellular merger she opposed — another case where the career side tried to enforce and got sidelined by leadership during an administration transition.
But here is what I find most fascinating: this fits into a broader pattern of DOJ selective enforcement that we already saw play out in the Ticketmaster/Live Nation case, which the Trump admin dropped mid-trial only for state attorneys general to continue on their own and win — a jury ruled it was an illegal monopoly with overcharges. The irony is that this administration claims its approach isn't political while simultaneously dropping antitrust actions against one of the biggest monopolists in entertainment and pushing through another massive consolidation while silencing career staff. I suspect states like California will file their own lawsuit within weeks, but by then the DOJ has already staked out its position on the matter and it's unlikely to flip back. This isn't just about two movie companies merging; it's a signal about how aggressively enforcement can be bypassed when political pressure is applied behind closed doors.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/us-approval-of-paramount-warner-bros-deal-surprised-doj-lawyers-report-says/