Don Jr.’s Axel to Grind

Instead, the story has resulted in a coordinated campaign by the White House and its allies not just to discredit the reporting, but to threaten the company behind it. Breitbart, the weaponized MAGA outlet, published a lengthy broadside on Tuesday attacking the piece and accusing McLean of journalistic malpractice. The piece, written by Matthew Boyle, who frequently acts as the unofficial press arm for Trumpworld, was quite a bit in itself. But buried in the bluster and long-winded statements from Trump allies that Boyle quoted was something more serious.

A White House official used the opportunity to deliver an extraordinary statement accusing Axel Springer, the Mathias Döpfner-led German media conglomerate that owns Business Insider, of engaging in a foreign influence operation. The unnamed official suggested the company’s journalism might not just be biased (which it wasn’t), but illegal (which it also wasn't). It was a not-so-subtle warning to the company to fall in line or it might seek to pull government levers that would be damaging to its business.

“Donald Trump Jr. is an innovator and visionary who is successfully reimagining the conservative media ecosystem—and the left is truly petrified,” the White House told Breitbart. “Axel Springer, a foreign-based media organization, is brazenly weaponizing its platforms to sow political division and spread disinformation in a manner that may well stretch beyond journalism, into illegal foreign political meddling.”

It sounded like a line you’d expect from a right-wing troll online. But such trolls now occupy actual seats of power. And their incendiary rhetoric is being delivered not from the fringes, but from inside the White House. It’s not just Trump Jr. lashing out, though he has also been amplifying every attack he can find as he rages on social media and—in a twist of irony—appearing deeply triggered, to borrow one of his favorite terms for mocking the left. That fury has been further echoed by Republican lawmakers. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana and Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana have both railed against the story, rushing to the defense of Trump Jr. In any event, the threat from the White House, which did not respond to a request for comment from Status, upped the ante.

Inside Business Insider, however, the episode has naturally consumed the attention of its leadership. I’m told there was a brief internal discussion about whether the framing of the piece needed to be revised after publication, though ultimately, the story remained untouched. Still, the unease inside the organization is real, given the volume of blowback, where it is coming from, and the fact that it is aimed squarely at the publication's parent company.

Indeed, executives at both Business Insider and Axel Springer are haunted by the memory of the Bill Ackman debacle last year, which drew intense right-wing blowback. Then, earlier this year, Elon Musk falsely accused POLITICO—another Axel Springer property—of accepting money from USAID, painting it as a government-funded propaganda outlet. The claim was nonsense, but it worked. It clouded the public narrative with conspiratorial nonsense and created precisely the kind of reputational headache Axel Springer executives have tried to dodge. It also led to every federal agency canceling their subscriptions to the outlet’s “pro” tier.

Behind the scenes, Axel Springer has worked hard to avoid becoming a partisan punching bag. At Business Insider specifically, the company last year brought in seasoned editor Jamie Heller from The Wall Street Journal to raise editorial standards and minimize reputational risks. But none of that matters when the people in power aren’t playing by the rules. Axel Springer might not want another high-profile feud dragging the company into controversy. But now they have one—this time again involving the federal government.

In a statement, an Axel Springer spokesperson told Status, “Axel Springer is a global media company committed to press freedom. Our U.S. newsrooms operate independently without editorial interference, and we stand firmly behind their right to report freely and without intimidation.” A Business Insider spokesperson separately told Status, “Our newsroom operates with full editorial independence, and we stand by our reporting.”

The larger concern is the chilling effect these kinds of attacks can have—not just on one story, but on the broader environment in which journalists operate. Notably, the White House did not dispute any of the facts reported by Business Insider. Instead, it equated unflattering reporting with foreign subversion and deployed the weight of the executive branch in an effort to silence it. The message wasn’t just aimed at Business Insider. It was aimed at every newsroom under the Axel Springer umbrella—and, more broadly, at any journalist thinking about covering the Trump family with rigor.

For Trump, the playbook is clear: Any outlet that scrutinizes him or his family becomes an enemy. And while that has long been his modus operandi, the stakes are higher now that he’s more willing than ever to blur the lines between his personal grievances and the instruments of state.

• Status Scoop | CBS News made some changes to its organizational structure in an effort to streamline its newsgathering operation on Wednesday, resulting in a handful of employees losing their jobs. A spokesperson for the network declined to comment.

• A judge heard arguments over whether to block Donald Trump’s order to fire three members of the CPB; a decision is expected by June 10. [Deadline]

• CNN formally announced its forthcoming weather app and that its new streaming product will launch in the fall. [AdWeek]

• The Associated Press announced AP/Forward, a program it said “will bring together voices from the AP and across the media and technology industries through in-person events and online conversations.” [AP]

• The NYT hired Kimberly Johnson as a consumer and industries editor. [NYT]

• The WSJ named Lynn Cook senior breaking news editor. [TBN]

Murdoch’s Missing Messages: What do the Murdochs have to hide? Thats the question Smartmatic is asking in court, stating in a filing Wednesday that Fox News and Fox Corp “orchestrated the destruction of text messages across all levels of their corporate hierarchy” amid their lawsuit over 2020 election lies. According to the voting machine company, messages from Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, former Fox legal chief Viet Dinh and others were deleted in November and December 2020 as the right-wing outlet promoted Donald Trump’s election fraud lies. “While it championed election fraud on air, behind the scenes Fox ensured that many of its executives’ incriminating communications would never see daylight,” Smartmatic’s lawyers wrote. A Fox News spokesperson countered that Smartmatic is “desperately attempting to distract from the court’s ruling for Fox and re-opening discovery into the federal indictment of key Smartmatic executives for bribery. Fox actually voluntarily disclosed the materials involved and this was resolved two years ago.”

🔍 Zooming in: While the long-running lawsuit careens toward a high-stakes trial in Manhattan, the filing comes just one day after an appeals court dealt a blow to Smartmatic, ruling Fox can obtain some internal records from the voting firm in a separate case involving its executives’ activities in the Philippines.

• Yes, this is real life: Jeanine Pirro was sworn in as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. [CNN]

• Mark Levin went nuclear on “little bastard” and “shmuck” Tucker Carlson for criticizing him: “Don’t screw with me!” [Mediaite]

• Bret Baier said the press should “100%” scrutinize Donald Trump’s family the same as Joe Biden’s. But, after a review, Harrison Ray reported the Fox News host “hasn’t come close” to doing so himself. [MMFA]

• It’s hard to imagine how Sean Hannity would have reacted if Biden had accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar, but this certainly wouldn’t have been it! [MMFA]

• Elon Musk’s Grok is obsessed with “white genocide,” replying to random tweets with information about it. [Gizmodo]

• Pam Bondi sold more than $1 million in Trump Media shares on the same day her boss unveiled his tariff war that tanked the market. [ProPublica]

A Total DiZaster: Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav is now walking back the moves he once championed. At the company’s upfront on Wednesday, WBD announced that its flagship streamer will drop the stripped-down “Max” moniker and return to the more recognizable “HBO Max,” putting the prestige brand back in the spotlight. The reversal comes the same week CNN unveiled plans for a new standalone streamer—its second try after Zaslav axed CNN+ in 2022, just weeks after launch. With whispers that Zaslav is preparing to spin off his legacy cable assets, the about-face makes strategic sense. If Max is about to lose its diet of cable content like "90 Day Fiancé" and "Dr. Pimple Popper," leaning back into HBO’s premium halo helps preserve value and no longer risks reputational damage to the iconic brand. Likewise, giving CNN the green light to chart its own digital path could help it survive post-divestiture. Still, it’s hard not to see this for what it is: Zaslav in retreat.

• Scott Galloway said he would select Warner Bros. Discovery as having the "worst board in media." [Threads]

  • Daniel D'Addario: "The Max era may be recalled as among the follies of WBD CEO David Zaslav, whose golden touch when he ran the Discovery networks has seemed to fall away after their 2022 merger with Warner." [Variety]

  • Chris Cillizza: “Navigating the media landscape as the head of a massive legacy company is not easy. I grant that. But committing obvious errors like this? It’s amazing to me that Zaslav still has a job — much less that he is making tens of millions doing it.” [Mediaite]

• Netflix said at its upfront that its advertising tier has surpassed 94 million monthly active users. [The Wrap]

  • The streamer focused on its new A.I.-powered ad tools. [Adage]

  • There was no short of celebrity, including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell making an appearance. [THR]

• YouTube said at its Brandcast that it will sell advertisements against cultural moments such as the Oscars. [Variety]

• ✂️ Cuts, cuts, cuts: Joe Flint and Jessica Toonkel reported that Paramount is “preparing another round of job cuts as soon as next month that would save hundreds of millions of dollars in costs.” [WSJ]

• Bill Ackman stepped down from Universal Music Group’s board. [WSJ]

Cruise in Control: Was it a five-minute standing ovation or an eight-minute applause? Or was it seven-and-a-half minutes? Who knows! But Tom Cruise premiered "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday evening, and the critical reception has been strong. "I’m just very grateful, very grateful for 30 years to be able to entertain you with this franchise," Cruise said after the screening. The summer blockbuster, out next week, is currently rocking a 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes with 87 reviews posted. It's a solid score, but it does lag behind other "Mission" films, including "Dead Reckoning Part One," which holds a 96% critical rating.

• Cassie Ventura testified for a second day against Sean "Diddy" Combs, revealing she settled her lawsuit against him for $20 million in 2023. [WaPo]

• This is, uh, really heating up. Justin Baldoni accused Blake Lively's team of extorting Taylor Swift for public support. Lively's camp called the accusations "categorically false." [The Wrap]

• DC Studios dropped the trailer for James Gunn's "Superman." [YouTube]

• "Saturday Night Live" teased its 50th season finale, in which Scarlett Johansson is saved from Colin Jost. [YouTube]

• Netflix renewed a number of top shows, including:

  • "The Four Seasons" for season two. [TV Line]

  • "The Diplomat" for a fourth season. [Variety]

  • "Bridgerton" for seasons a fifth and six season. [Deadline]

• Synergy at WBD: HGTV will renovate the "Bachelor" mansion. [THR]

• “Sunset Boulevard” star Tom Francis got The NYT profile treatment. [NYT]

  • If you haven’t yet seen it, make sure to catch this one on Broadway before it’s too late!