Trump endorses Nexstar’s $6.2 billion bid for Tegna after earlier criticism

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President Donald Trump endorsed Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion purchase of broadcast rival Tegna on Saturday, in what the endorsement appeared to reverse his earlier criticism of the deal. Trump wrote on social media that the transaction would increase competition and help counter what he called “Fake News” national television networks, and he urged supporters to “GET THAT DEAL DONE.”

In the post, Trump framed the proposed merger as a way to pressure the media landscape, writing, “We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” and then asserting that “Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar — Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition.” The endorsement described the deal as aligned with his broader view of media competition, rather than as a threat to it.

The acquisition, which Nexstar announced in August and which requires regulatory approval, would combine two companies with significant holdings in local broadcast television. Nexstar operates more than 200 owned and partner stations in 116 markets nationwide, and it also runs networks including The CW and NewsNation, according to the reporting.

Tegna owns 64 news stations across 51 markets, the same reporting said. The deal therefore would bring together large shares of local broadcasting under a single corporate structure in multiple locations, subject to the outcome of the regulatory process.

Trump’s earlier remarks drew a sharp line on the same transaction. In November, he criticized the purchase, saying, “If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to ‘enlarge,’ I would not be happy.” The Saturday endorsement did not explicitly repeat that earlier concern, but it presented the merger in pro-competition terms.

The deal is also unfolding while the Federal Communications Commission seeks to reform rules that limit local television station ownership. The reporting said court decisions have struck down regulations that limited how many top TV stations a single company could own in a market.

Nexstar has sought to portray the transaction as consistent with deregulatory moves associated with the Trump administration. Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said when the deal was announced that the initiatives pursued by the Trump administration would give local broadcasters an opportunity to expand reach, “level the playing field,” and “compete more effectively” with large technology and legacy media companies, while also citing resources and reach issues.

Some conservative voices have opposed the merger. Newsmax said in a statement that the Nexstar deal would mean “dangerous consolidation,” limit competition, harm conservative voices, and “dramatically” increase consumer cable bills, and it argued that Trump was right in November when he called for smaller networks and keeping TV ownership caps to curb “massive broadcast consolidation.”