David Ellison Dinner Honoring Trump Attended by Bari Weiss, Norah O’Donnell
President Donald Trump was the guest of honor at a dinner party hosted by David Ellison in Washington, D.C. The event, which lasted nearly an hour, was organized by Ellison to honor Trump and also to recognize CBS News’ White House reporters. Paramount Skydance, owned by Ellison, is seeking regulatory approval from the Trump administration’s Justice Department for the $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The dinner was attended by senior members of the Trump administration, as well as prominent figures in the media industry. Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, Norah O’Donnell, former anchor of “CBS Evening News,” and other CBS News correspondents were among the guests. Weiss was seated at Trump’s table along with her wife, Nellie Bowles, First Lady Melania Trump, and Paramount’s chief legal officer, Makan Delrahim.
Todd Blanche, the acting U.S. attorney general, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller were also present at the dinner. The event raised concerns within the CBS newsroom about the perception of coziness between the news division and the Trump administration.
Despite the detailed coverage of the event, the content of Trump’s speech was not disclosed in the report. Senator Chris Murphy criticized the event, stating that media conglomerates like CBS News should be broken up for being anti-consumer and anti-free speech.
The dinner took place two days before the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump was also expected to attend. The event was held at the United States Institute of Peace and was followed by concerns from CNN staffers about potential changes in coverage due to Paramount Skydance’s ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery. Ellison has assured that CNN’s editorial independence will be maintained under the merged entity.
Overall, the dinner party hosted by David Ellison in honor of President Donald Trump was a notable event that brought together key figures from the media industry and the Trump administration. The implications of this gathering on media coverage and regulatory approval processes remain to be seen.
