Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said Tuesday that the Democratic Party posed a far greater threat to free speech than Donald Trump does.
“The threat to the First Amendment came from the Democratic side [throughout the election],” Bewkes told Business Insider CEO Henry Blodget at a conference in New York. “There’s not going to be a serious effort on the Republican side.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Blodget reminded Bewkes, who is a Democrat, that Trump had accused CNN — owned by Time Warner — of bias, and also threatened to sue numerous media outlets for libel. Bewkes dismissed the notion that Trump poses a threat to free speech.
“I don’t think that’s a serious thing,” Bewkes said. “If anybody is going to change the First Amendment…remember, the Democratic party had a campaign plank to change the First Amendment, and they were doing it in the guise of campaign finance reform.”
Time Warner is currently awaiting government approval of a deal that would allow the company to be acquired by AT&T for $85 billion — a deal Trump said he was originally against. Bewkes said he is hopeful the deal will be approved under the Trump administration.
“I think when it becomes clear what we’re doing it will become clear to everyone that it will be pro-competitive, pro-consumer and improve competition in advertising.”