United States President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Nexstar Media's proposed acquisition of Tegna, after previously criticising it.
The deal, which was announced in August of last year and would come in at US$6.2 billion, came under fire from Trump as recently as November, saying it would be an “expansion of the fake news networks” and calling ABC and NBC an “illegal campaign to the radical left”.
Nexstar currently has ownership or partnership of 200 news stations, and if the deal is successful, would take on 64 from Tegna.
This would leave Nexstar with coverage of approximately 80% of the U.S.
Trump has weighed in on the deal again this week, but with a surprising show of support, calling for “more competition against…the Fake News National TV Networks".
“Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar - Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition, and at a higher and more sophisticated level. Those that are opposed don’t fully understand how good the concept of this Deal is for them, but they will in the future. GET THAT DEAL DONE!," he wrote on a Truth Social post.
