Thompson’s White House Trek

Last Thursday, CNN boss Mark Thompson and a small entourage of staff quietly made a trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But the visit to the White House, which has not previously been reported, was not to meet with Trump administration officials. It was to meet with the network’s anxious staff as the pending Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger casts a shadow of uncertainty over the news organization.

Indeed, I’m told that inside CNN’s White House unit, there is growing concern about what the merger might mean for the team of reporters covering Donald Trump. Trump and his aides have publicly clamored for David Ellison to gain control of the network, with not-so-subtle implications of an overhaul—including potential firings—once Paramount gets the keys to CNN. Trump and his top officials have routinely singled out correspondents Kaitlan Collins and Kristen Holmes in attacks. But up until now, the team has had the backing of management, which has stood behind its reporting. With Ellison so overtly kowtowing to Trump, some have wondered whether that would remain the case under his ownership.

Adding to the anxiety is the fact that CBS News has a robust White House unit of its own. Ellison has planned to merge the two news organizations, and the overlap is expected to lead to job cuts, leaving CNN reporters on the beat uneasy—particularly with Trump’s ire so often focused on the network’s White House coverage.