The Department of Justice (DOJ) under Donald Trump‘s administration has reportedly labelled Netflix as peddling ‘woke garbage,’ raising the political stakes for the streaming service’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny.
The backlash began in October after the US military’s media office—under the direction of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defence—slammed Netflix’s gay‑military drama Boots.
In a statement, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the US military ‘will not compromise our standards to satisfy an ideological agenda, unlike Netflix, whose leadership consistently produces and feeds woke garbage to their audience and children,’ according to a report by The Guardian.
Although the statement targeted ‘ideological agenda’ broadly rather than a corporate acquisition, the rhetorical attack has now been tied by political and legal watchers to broader concerns about Netflix‘s potential takeover of WBD.
According to a recent Reuters analysis, the DOJ, given its past objections to media consolidations, is poised to subject any Netflix‑WBD deal to ‘a barrage of political and regulatory risks.’
The Deal On The Table
On 5 December, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a definitive agreement under which Netflix would acquire Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, as well as the streaming service HBO Max.
The deal values WBD at roughly US$82.7 billion in enterprise value (US$72 billion equity) at a purchase price of US$27.75 per share.
Under the plan, WBD is to spin off its linear television assets—including cable channels such as CNN, TNT and TBS—into a separate publicly traded company.
The transaction is expected to close after that corporate separation, currently projected for the third quarter of 2026.
Antitrust Concerns And Political Backlash
Even before the deal was finalised, US lawmakers and industry stakeholders warned of the potential for reduced competition and diminished consumer choice.
Republican Senator Roger Marshall and Representative Darrell Issa cautioned that giving Netflix control of HBO Max and Warner’s content libraries could create a streaming behemoth with ‘unequalled market power.’
Legal analysts say the DOJ—historically aggressive on media‑related mergers—is likely to launch a sweeping, multiyear antitrust review if the Netflix bid proceeds.
Industry Alarm and Calls For Congressional Intervention
Adding to the pressure, a coalition of prominent film producers has petitioned Congress to reject the deal.
In a letter published by the industry publication Variety, the anonymous group warned that a Netflix‑owned Warner Bros. might trigger an ‘economic and institutional crisis’ for Hollywood, undermining the theatrical marketplace and limiting opportunities for independent filmmakers.
Some worry that, with Netflix controlling both streaming and studio distribution, future films—including those from lucrative franchises—could skip theatrical release altogether, weakening cinemas and reducing diversity in how films reach audiences.
What Lies Ahead
The deal remains subject to regulatory approval. While Netflix has emerged as the frontrunner following a hard‑fought bidding war that included Paramount, Skydance, and Comcast, final closure is far from guaranteed.
Paramount has already challenged the fairness of the sales process, accusing WBD’s board of favouring Netflix.
With the DOJ under Trump now publicly associating Netflix with what critics call ‘woke garbage,’ the political dimension has merged with antitrust concerns. The approval will likely depend not only on technical competition analysis but also on how regulators—and Congress—view the cultural and ideological implications of giving Netflix such sweeping control over Hollywood‘s content pipeline.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
