Disney CEO Bob Iger has made a decision on ABC’s defamation settlement with Donald Trump, emboldening the president-elect and outraging journalists. The settlement was reportedly agreed upon by one person: Iger. The network is furious over the settlement, which was recommended by its parent company’s general counsel and signed off on by Iger without board approval.
Disney may have avoided depositions that could have exposed internal communications, but this move suggests a lack of corporate resistance to Trump’s influence. Iger’s approach is in line with other CEOs who are making friendly overtures to Trump, including Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jeff Bezos, who have all met with the president-elect since his re-election.
Iger is less than two years away from the end of his contract and has several issues to address, such as navigating streaming and maintaining Marvel and Lucasfilm’s quality. Despite not being directly involved in Trump’s inaugural fund, Iger has taken steps to mitigate potential risks, including directing ABC to a $15 million settlement for Trump’s presidential museum.
The timing of the settlement comes before Disney edited out a transgender storyline from its new Pixar series “Win or Lose.” However, according to insiders, this decision was made several months ago. The move is seen as an attempt by Disney to tread carefully in the face of potential second-term scrutiny. Iger’s approach suggests he is prioritizing stability over taking a stand against Trump.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/19/business/disney-iger-abc-trump-nightcap/index.html