Trump says Netflix will face ‘consequences’ if it doesn’t fire board member Susan Rice

Source: TechCrunch

Background

Rice — a former ambassador to the United Nations who held diplomatic and advisory roles in the Obama and Biden administrations — appeared on the “Stay Tuned with Preet” podcast hosted by Preet Bhara. During the interview she predicted that corporations that “take a knee” to Trump will be “held accountable” when Democrats return to power.

“If these corporations think that the Democrats, when they come back in power, are going to… say, ‘Oh, never mind. We’ll forgive you for all the people you fired, all the policies and principles you’ve violated, all, you know, the laws you’ve skirted,’ I think they’ve got another thing coming,” Rice said.
— Source: The Hill

Trump’s Truth Social post

Trump posted on his social network Truth Social with the following message:

“Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences. She’s got no talent or skills – Purely a political hack! HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK. How much is she being paid, and for what???”
— Source: Truth Social post

The post also included a screenshot of far‑right activist Laura Loomer criticizing Rice’s comments and claiming that “The Netflix‑Warner Bros. merger would result in a streaming monopoly, which the Obamas will have a significant stake in” due to the deal between Netflix and the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground.
Source: TechCrunch (2018)

Contextual developments

• Netflix’s massive Warner Bros. acquisition will need approval from federal regulators.
  Source: What to know about Netflix’s landmark acquisition of Warner Bros.

• The streaming company’s co‑CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly met with Trump before the deal was announced. After the meeting, Trump said Netflix is a “great company … but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”
  Source: Report on Sarandos meeting with Trump

Previous similar demand

Last fall, Trump published a comparable post demanding that Microsoft fire its president of global affairs, Lisa Monaco. Monaco remains at Microsoft.
Source: TechCrunch (2025)