US President Donald Trump paid tribute Wednesday to cable news titan Ted Turner, the swashbuckling billionaire who founded CNN. In a TRUTH Social post, Trump called the CNN founder “one of the Greats of Broadcast History.”
“Ted Turner, one of the Greats of All Time, just died,” said on his Truth Social platform. “One of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine. Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause!,” his post read.
Trump, who built his political career in part by disparaging negative reporting as “fake news” — often specifically targeting CNN — also said Wednesday he looked forward to the network coming under new ownership.
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What did Donald Trump say about Ted Turner and CNN?⌵
Donald Trump paid tribute to CNN founder Ted Turner, calling him “one of the Greats of Broadcast History.” However, Trump also criticized CNN, stating that under new ownership, it became “woke” and that he hoped new buyers could restore its former credibility.
Why did Donald Trump criticize CNN?⌵
Donald Trump criticized CNN, calling it his “baby” that was destroyed by new ownership. He specifically stated that the network “became woke, and everything that he is not all about.”
What was Ted Turner’s role in founding CNN?⌵
Ted Turner founded CNN in 1980, creating the world’s first 24-hour television news network. He aimed to counter the coverage of major networks by offering continuous news updates.
What is Ted Turner’s legacy in the media industry?⌵
Ted Turner is remembered as a media pioneer who transformed television news by launching CNN and pioneering the 24-hour news cycle. His ambition and risk-taking style reshaped how audiences consumed news globally.
What other ventures was Ted Turner involved in besides CNN?⌵
Beyond CNN, Ted Turner built a media empire that included sports franchises and film studios. He was also a significant philanthropist, donating $1 billion to United Nations charities, and a major landowner, owning vast ranches and the largest private bison herd in the US.
He wrote on social media, “He founded CNN, sold it, and was personally devastated by the Deal because the new ownership took CNN, his ‘baby,’ and destroyed it. It became woke, and everything that he is not all about. Maybe the new buyers, wonderful people, will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory.”
CNN’s parent company, is the target of a hostile takeover by Paramount Skydance, which is headed by the son of Trump’s billionaire ally,. The deal is pending regulatory approval.
The merged entity will include CNN, CBS, HBO and Nickelodeon as well as some of Hollywood’s most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and the DC Universe.
Ted Turner dies at 87
Ted Turner died on Wednesday, CNN reported, citing a news release from his company, Turner Enterprises. He was 87.
The Associated Press described him as the brash and outspoken television pioneer who created a media empire and transformed the news business by creating CNN and introducing the 24-hour cable news cycle.
He had announced in 2018 that he was suffering from Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder, and largely disappeared from public life after that.
He died surrounded by his family, according to , the company that oversees his vast business interests and investments, the Associated Press reported.
Turner’s empire expanded far beyond media, owning professional sports teams in Atlanta and huge chunks of the American West. He raced yachts too, defending the America’s Cup in 1977.
He donated a stunning $1 billion to United Nations charities and fueled conservation efforts through habitat restoration and endangered species work on his sprawling ranches in the West.
Turner married three women — most famously actor Jane Fonda — and earned the nicknames “Captain Outrageous” and “The Mouth of the South.”
He once bragged: “If only I had a little humility, I’d be perfect.”
He was slowed in later years by Lewy body dementia. Long since out of the television business, he concentrated on philanthropy and his more than 2 million acres of property, including the nation’s largest bison herd.
