US President Donald Trump has paid tribute to late media mogul Ted Turner while also criticising the current direction of CNN.
Posting on Truth Social shortly after Turner’s death was announced, Trump described the founder of CNN as “one of the greatest” figures in media history.
However, Trump used the tribute to attack the network’s evolution under later ownership, claiming it changed after Turner lost control following the merger between Turner Broadcasting and Time Warner. Trump wrote that Time Warner “destroyed” CNN by making it “totally woke,” arguing that the network became the opposite of what Turner originally envisioned.
He also suggested that upcoming ownership changes could shift the network’s direction again. CNN is currently part of Warner Bros. Discovery, which was recently acquired by Paramount in a deal reportedly worth more than $100 billion.
Despite the criticism, Trump ended his message warmly, calling Turner a “friend” and saying he had always supported him when needed. Turner, however, was widely known for holding liberal political views, especially later in life.
He publicly supported environmental causes, advocated for population control efforts, and backed Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election against Trump. At the time, Turner described Clinton as “the most qualified individual to run this country.”
He also drew controversy in 2006 when he argued that Iran possessing a limited number of nuclear weapons would not necessarily pose a major threat, a stance sharply different from the Trump administration’s hardline position on Iran.
Turner died on Wednesday, May 6, after a long battle with dementia. He was 87 years old. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern broadcasting after founding CNN, the world’s first 24 hour television news network.