David Ellison Dines With Trump & Xi With WBD

Key Points:

• CNN reporters were barred from attending the White House state dinner and guest arrivals, despite the network's impending ownership by David Ellison, who is attending the event alongside President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• David Ellison, CEO of Paramount and son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, is seeking federal approval for a $111 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery; his close ties to Trump have raised concerns among opponents of the deal, especially regarding CBS News and CNN.
• The dinner includes prominent tech leaders such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Jeff Yass, Jensen Huang, and Satya Nadella, alongside traditional industry figures favored by Trump like Jamie Dimon, Michael Dell, Tim Cook, and Jeff Bezos.
• Attendees also feature Chinese officials, White House senior staff, GOP congressional leaders, Supreme Court members, and Fox News personalities Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham, and Bret Baier with their spouses.
• Following a court order to re-credential CNN, MSNBC, and Politico after a Trump administration ban, these outlets were briefly allowed access but then excluded again, coinciding with the launch of "Trump TV" online.