President Trump reversed course on Saturday and appeared to endorse Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion purchase of its rival Tegna.
“We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” the president said in a post on Truth Social, adding that “good deals” like Nexstar’s purchase of Tegna will “help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition.”
“Those that are opposed don’t fully understand how good the concept of this Deal is for them, but they will in the future. GET THAT DEAL DONE!” he wrote.
Nexstar’s acquisition of Tegna, which was announced in August, requires regulatory approval. The deal would bring together two companies with significant holdings in local broadcast media, expanding Nexstar’s reach in the U.S. television and local news landscape. Nexstar oversees more than 200 owned and partner stations in 116 markets nationwide today and also runs networks like The CW and NewsNation. Tegna owns 64 news stations across 51 markets.
If approved by Tegna shareholders, the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
In November, Mr. Trump criticized the purchase. “If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to ‘enlarge,’ I would not be happy,” he wrote then.
