If it walks like a bribe, talks like a bribe, and shows up in a signed $16 million settlement while a media merger is on the line — it just might be a bribe.
At minimum, it smells real funny.
Skydance, the company trying to buy Paramount Global, is promising the FCC a “comprehensive review” of CBS News, a brand-new auditor to keep bias in check, and — oh yeah — plans to completely eliminate all DEI programs at the company. And they’re framing all of this as a way to serve the “public interest.” Huh?
This sudden interest in objectivity and “non-discrimination compliance” doesn’t feel neutral — it feels strategic. Almost like … an audition tape for the Trump administration’s approval.
Because — spoiler alert — Skydance needs that green light from the same White House that’s currently on the receiving end of millions in settlements and “advertising deals” from the very companies seeking a merger.
Coincidence? You decide. But the timeline tells a different story.
Paramount settled what many legal experts called a “baseless” lawsuit from Trump for $16 million — most of which is headed straight to his presidential library fund. Then came whispers of another $15-20 million in PSAs and media content aligned with Trump’s messaging. And days after Stephen Colbert called it a “big fat bribe” on national television, CBS canceled his show.
You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to feel that something ain’t right here. You just have to be paying attention.
Skydance claims there’s no side deal with Trump. But Trump himself is out here bragging about how he “hopes” he got Colbert fired. When a sitting president openly celebrates the silencing of a top critic and companies shift policies to please him, it stops being media strategy and starts looking like soft-authoritarianism. We’ve seen this play before—and it doesn’t end well.
Look, I’m not telling you what to believe. But I am asking you to notice the pattern. Payoffs to presidential libraries, DEI programs erased, late-night critics silenced — all while billions hang in the balance.
Maybe it’s all just business. Maybe.
This isn’t just about Colbert losing a show or one company shifting direction. This is about our president reshaping media to serve his personal agendas — and daring us not to notice.
And I noticed. You should too.
Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.
