AT&T-Time Warner Deal, an Early Trump Target, Reaches Advanced Stage

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Apparently, the government review of AT&T’s $85 billion takeover of Time Warner has reached an advanced stage, people close to the situation said, a significant milestone in a deal that was closely watched for signs of how the Trump administration would view large mergers.

The deal’s regulatory review has hit a late-stage point where AT&T lawyers are discussing merger conditions with the Justice Department. The review process has reached that point despite a vacant seat atop the department’s antitrust division. An approval could underscore the administration’s pro-business credentials. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump attacked the proposed deal. “AT&T is buying Time Warner, and thus CNN, a deal we will not approve in my administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few,” he said. President Trump has since avoided talking publicly about the transaction but frequently complained on Twitter about the way CNN, a unit of Time Warner, has reported on him.


AT&T-Time Warner Deal, an Early Trump Target, Reaches Advanced Stage