AT&T wants to prove that Trump is putting the kibosh on the big Time Warner merger


AT&T is trying to prove that President Trump personally intervened to stop a proposed merger with Time Warner, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. AT&T reportedly believes there are documents tracing correspondence between the White House and Justice Department that could prove Trump wanted the $85 billion merger killed.
Last November, the DOJ announced that it would initiate an antitrust lawsuit to block the merger between AT&T and Time Warner, claiming the deal would "substantially lessen competition." When news of the suit surfaced, The New York Times reported that the DOJ had insinuated the deal would be approved if Time Warner sold off Turner Broadcasting — which owns the president's least favorite news network, CNN.
Various sources within AT&T and Time Warner told Vanity Fair that the demand for Time Warner to shed Turner Broadcasting, and CNN by proxy, reeked of politics. The antitrust lawsuit is set to begin in March, and Bloomberg says that AT&T is also hoping to get the head attorney for the DOJ's antitrust division to testify.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As a presidential candidate, Trump expressed his opposition to the AT&T and Time Warner merger, saying that it would result in "too much concentration of power in the hands of too few." Bloomberg notes that the White House has long denied allegations that their opposition to the sale is politically motivated. Both the Justice Department and AT&T declined to comment on Bloomberg's story.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kelly O'Meara Morales is a staff writer at The Week. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and studied Middle Eastern history and nonfiction writing amongst other esoteric subjects. When not compulsively checking Twitter, he writes and records music, subsists on tacos, and watches basketball.
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: March 30, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published