President Donald Trump mourned the death of media mogul Ted Turner, calling him one of the “greats” of broadcast history.
The president on Wednesday, May 6, praised Turner’s role in founding CNN and building it into a dominant global news network, describing the channel as his “baby.”
In the same statement, Trump criticized CNN’s direction after Turner’s departure, arguing that changes in ownership undermined the network’s credibility and strayed from its original vision, Newsweek reported.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, 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.”
“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!” he added.
Turner launched CNN in 1980. He died Wednesday at the age of 87.
In 1980, he made his most notable mark on TV history in creating CNN, the first 24-hour news network. Eventually Turner Broadcasting included CNN Headline News, CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.
Turner was known for pioneering cable television and later dedicating his assets to environmentalism, having previously called for universal healthcare and questioned US nuclear policy.
