Lawmakers protest Ellison‑hosted Trump dinner as media merger advances

Dozens of protesters, including members of Congress, gathered near the National Mall to denounce a private dinner hosted by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison in honor of the Trump administration and CBS News, arguing it signals a cozy tie between Ellison’s media interests and the White House as Warner Bros. Discovery’s roughly $110 billion merger moves forward toward DOJ and European scrutiny; critics call the event an “oligarch’s dinner,” while antitrust actions loom even as WBD shareholders approved the merger.