Overview
- CNN confirmed CEO Mark Thompson recently visited the White House, which Status said was to discuss the network’s upcoming streaming product.
- The network rejected the allegation that Thompson told journalists to ease coverage of the East Wing demolition, calling the report reckless and irresponsible, with a spokesperson also saying there was zero truth to it.
- Status reported, citing people familiar, that Thompson told staff on a call that CNN’s audience was not very interested in the story, a claim CNN disputes and that remains unverified.
- President Trump’s demolition of the East Wing to build a new ballroom has drawn criticism from historians and preservation groups, and the White House has dismissed the backlash as manufactured outrage.
- Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans for a sale, and reporting has identified Trump ally David Ellison as an interested suitor, developments that have prompted questions about potential conflicts affecting news coverage.