How much influence does President Trump have over big media?

The lead starts right now.

One of the biggest brands in media, Paramount Skydance, is making an aggressive pitch to own Warner Brothers' discovery.

Why it matters. What Trump just said about the new bid and and how his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is a factor in all this.

Tech journalist Kara Swisher will be here.

Plus, a Senate race shakeup in Texas why former NFL linebacker Colin Al-Read is abruptly ending his candidacy as outspoken

congresswoman Jasmine Crockett looks to fill the void for Democrats.

And one of the most recognizable faces in rock and roll, Kiss frontman, Gene Simmons will

be here on the lead.

Welcome to the lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

We're going to start with the money lead and what could be a brand new bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery,

the company that owns CNN and HBO and HGTV and other cable channels, not to mention film production,

places where movies such as Superman and Barbie and the Harry Potter franchise are made and premier streamer HBO Max. Paramount Skydance is now making a new

hostile takeover bid for WBD. The announcement coming just days after Netflix announced

its own plan to buy Warner Brothers and HBO, the price tag, $72 billion.

Netflix also offered to take on WBD's existing debt

and spin off the cable side of WBD into another company.

Now that Netflix deal beat out bids,

including one from Paramount Skydance,

the company that owns CBS News and Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures.

Instead of accepting defeat, however, Paramount is going straight to WBD shareholders within all-cash offer.

And if accepted, that plan would keep WBD's film and cable portfolio together.

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