President Donald Trump on Saturday expressed public support for Nexstar Media's proposed purchase of Tegna, telling his followers on Truth Social that the companies should finalize the transaction. In his post, the president wrote: "We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks," and added, "GET THAT DEAL DONE!"
The acquisition on the table, first proposed last year, values Tegna at $3.54 billion and would combine the two broadcasters into the largest U.S. regional television station operator. That scale is expected to give the merged company more negotiating leverage with both advertisers and pay-TV distributors, according to the terms reported when the proposal was announced.
The local media sector has been contending with falling revenue and shrinking subscriber rolls, trends that the industry has linked to viewers shifting toward streaming services. Those pressures were cited in the initial coverage of the proposed deal and remain central to the context surrounding the potential consolidation.
Saturday's post also highlighted a shift in tone from the president compared with comments he made in November. At that time, he criticized a separate proposal to lift the current cap on ownership of local television stations - a regulatory change that would be required to permit Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna to move forward. The November criticism was focused on the ownership cap itself, while the Saturday message explicitly encouraged completion of the Nexstar-Tegna transaction.
On scale and operations, Nexstar currently owns or partners with more than 200 television stations and operates brands including The CW and NewsNation. Tegna, by contrast, runs 64 stations and operates networks such as True Crime Network and Quest. The combination of those footprints is the reason the companies and some observers describe the deal as creating the largest regional station operator.
Beyond corporate structure, the transaction and the public endorsement illustrate the intersection of industry consolidation, regulatory requirements tied to ownership limits, and broader audience shifts toward streaming platforms. The companies involved, the regulatory environment around local station ownership caps, advertising markets, and pay-TV distributors are all factors that frame the potential outcome of the proposal.
Summary
President Trump publicly backed Nexstar Media's proposed $3.54 billion acquisition of Tegna on Truth Social, urging completion of the deal. The merger would create the largest U.S. regional TV station operator, offering greater leverage with advertisers and pay-TV distributors. The industry context includes declining local media revenue and subscriber losses due to streaming. The president's endorsement marks a different tone from his November criticism of lifting the local TV ownership cap needed for the deal.