https://www.propublica.org/article/paramount-mergers-fcc-ken...
Well... we certainly know that preemptive appeasement is a thing [1]. IMHO, this is equivalent to a bribe - a favor, just not in monetary form.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/sep/26/kimmel-controv...
Added up all the free market enterprise section completed deals where the purchaser was indicated as US based
Obama era:
2009: 6,
2010: 1,
2011: 4,
2012: 1,
2013: 4,
2014: 5,
2015: 7,
2016: 6
Trump term 1:
2017: 4,
2018: 8,
2019: 13,
2020: 7
Biden term:
2021: 4,
2022: 4,
2023: 7,
2024: 4
Trump term 2 so far:
2025: 11*,
2026: 9*
Obama average: 4.25 / year
Biden average: 4.75 / year
Trump term 1 average: 8 / year
*Most of the last two years are indicated as still pending, so not sure if they will go through or not.
Not exactly the most scientific data gathering or study. But it does suggest that large mergers and acquisitions have generally been made more frequently under Trump.
I don't mean to be snarky but "I counted things on Wikipedia" is not exactly slam dunk proof when the GP was all but saying Trump is selling antitrust immunity on the open market.
A thing happens in every administration regime where once it becomes clear that X is acceptable (e.g. renewables projects, LBOs, nuclear, oil drilling, etc), there will be a lot of submissions to do X without any bribes at all.
I’ll toss in some better evidence then: the Paramount lawsuit settlement that paves the way for the merger, which includes future payments for things like pro-Trump advertisements/PSAs:
https://www.foxnews.com/media/how-trump-sued-cbs-won-60-minu...
Paramount shareholders are suing over this and accusing the administration of bribery.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/paramount-shareholders-a...
Here’s another giant unrelated article that details the Trump administration’s shakedown system:
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/unco...
I’ll remind everyone that it has been well established fact that Trump was basically the real estate guy for the Russian mafia in NYC before he got into politics. It isn’t some kind of strange coincidence that a lot of what he does feels mafia-like.
The president is making a genuine, serious attempt to install his personal attorney to the office of Attorney General and he has a good chance of succeeding. This country is cooked.
The high level of financial corruption of the current administration is very well documented.
Let’s not forget that the president is a convicted felon, and his felonies were all financial crimes.