Missourians don’t need lectures from coastal executives about what’s good for us. We’ve seen what happens when massive corporations consolidate power, squeeze out competitors, and then pass the costs along to working families. President Donald J. Trump and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley understand this, which is why their push to rein in corporate monopolies has gained traction here in the Show Me State.
Last week, the political battle in Congress shifted to opposing a proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, which President Trump seemed to declare his opposition to on Sunday. The House of Representatives just held a hearing on this problematic deal and the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Sen. Hawley sits, should soon do the same.
This merger raises questions that go beyond economics and touch on what Missouri families care about. Many families feel that the big platforms that stream their favorite programming reflect the values of the coasts and do not reflect their own. Sen. Hawley has been outspoken on this front, including when he called on Netflix to take down the film Cuties after widespread concern that the movie sexualized minors and crossed basic lines of decency.
Hawley has a point here. When a handful of corporations control what millions of Americans watch, families have little recourse. A Netflix–Warner merger would further insulate the company from consumer pushback by reducing alternatives for viewers who want different options.
Beyond cultural concerns, this merger threatens Missouri’s economy. Over the last several years, the state has worked to attract film and television production. That effort is paying off. In 2024 alone, productions filmed in Missouri spent more than $33 million in-state.
However, such employment requires competition. Several film companies looking for sites to shoot their movies mean that states such as Missouri get leverage. Many of these jobs will vanish if Netflix acquires Warner Bros.
Sen. Hawley’s seat on the Judiciary Committee gives Missouri an important voice in this fight. He has consistently argued that antitrust laws exist to protect consumers, workers, and competition rather than simply approve whatever benefits corporate executives.
Hawley has company on this issue. Lawmakers across the political spectrum, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have acknowledged that media consolidation has gone too far.
Missouri conservatives have always believed in markets that work for everyone, instead of markets where the biggest players with the loudest lobbyists set the rules. The Netflix–Warner merger would shift power from the people to corporate leaders who do not live in Missouri, do not work in Missouri, and whose priorities are not in Missouri.
Congress should reject this merger and protect competition in the streaming market.”
Conservative talk show host and co-host of St Louis’ NewsTalkSTL
