Trump Claims Ted Turner Was ‘Devastated’ CNN Became ‘Woke’

President Donald Trump asserted that CNN founder Ted Turner was “personally devastated” after selling the news network because the new owners “destroyed” it because it became “woke” — although there’s is no evidence of Turner having lamented CNN’s coverage as being “woke.”

Turner, a major pioneer in the cable TV biz, died Wednesday at 87.

“Ted Turner, one of the Greats of All Time, just died. He founded CNN, sold it, and was personally devastated by the Deal because the new ownership took CNN, his ‘baby,’ and destroyed it. It became woke, and everything that he is not all about,” Trump posted on this Truth Social account.

Turner sold CNN to Time Warner in 1996, as part of a deal for Turner Broadcasting System, and CNN was valued at around $2.8 billion, the AP reported.

But Turner has not criticized CNN for any perceived political bias in its coverage.

In October 2012, he told Charlie Rose on “CBS This Morning” that he would like “to see more emphasis on hard news and international news and a little less fluff” on CNN. In that interview, Turner also said about that year’s race for U.S. president that “I like Obama’s policies better” than Republican candidate Mitt Romney, because Obama is “better on the environment and really and truly wants to end the wars.”

In a 2019 interview with Variety, Turner said, “I don’t watch much television besides CNN, but I’ll catch something on TCM on occasion,” referring to another one of his cable networks, Turner Classic Movies.

Meanwhile, Trump in his post also expressed hope that David Ellison, whose Paramount Skydance has clinched a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, will restore CNN “to its former credibility and glory.” The $111 billion WBD deal has major financial backing from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, David’s father and a mega-billionaire friendly with Trump.

“Maybe the new buyers, wonderful people, will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory. Regardless, however, one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine. Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Ellison — who last month threw a dinner party “honoring” Trump — has pledged that CNN will remain an editorially independent news organization. The editorial independence of CNN “will absolutely be maintained,” Ellison told CNBC. “It’s maintained at CBS. It’ll be maintained at CNN.”