When President Donald trump delivers his State of the Union address to Congress tonight, the audience will be filled with high-profile media personalities, both old and new.
That includes David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount, who is seeking to pry Warner Bros. Discovery away from Netflix in a blockbuster deal; and Erika Kirk, who will be attending as Trump’s guest.
It also includes Nick Shirley, the controversial conservative creator whose expose of Minneapolis childcare centers sparked an entire news cycle in right-leaning media; and Kevin O’Leary, the Shark Tank host and Marty Supreme surprise.
Only Kirk, the widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered last year, is attending a guest of the president. Ellison is attending as a guest of Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC); while O’Leary is attending as a guest of Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL). Shirley is attending as a guest of Rep. Peter Stauber (R-MN).
While there are plenty of more widely-expected guests attending (NASA astronauts, the family of Jesse Jackson, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein), the media-heavy guest list underscores how the political landscape is increasingly being shaped by new power centers, from digital natives like Kirk and Shirley to new era moguls like Ellison.
Ellison, of course, is in the midst of trying to steal WBD from Netflix, with the company telling investors Tuesday that it was warming to Paramount’s sweetened bid, which leans heavily on its confidence that it can get the deal through regulatory approvals.
Attending the SOTU as a guest of one of the most powerful Republican senators may underscore Ellison’s confidence in getting a deal done.
