If the prospect of engaging in a free speech dispute with Trump proves too much for Bob Iger, then who amongst us has the resilience?
If the prospect of engaging in a free speech dispute with Trump proves too much for Bob Iger, then who amongst us has the resilience?
According to the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, ABC's employees are enraged over the settlement, which was suggested by the network's parent company's general counsel and approved by Iger. (The settlement did not go before the board for a vote, as reported by the Times' Brooks Barnes.)
There's a lot that remains unclear regarding Iger's decision-making process. The public perception is that while the case seemed to have a high chance of victory, Disney (which refused to comment on CNN's request) may have been trying to avoid depositions that would reveal some damaging internal communications.
But for Disney to give up so easily on a free speech battle before Trump even takes office? It implies that those hoping for some kind of resistance from Corporate America can let out a sigh of relief. Few companies are as well-equipped as Disney — with its formidable brand power and an immense team of top-tier lawyers — to handle such a battle.
Executives from tech and media have been eager to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence ever since he was re-elected. Since Thanksgiving, Trump has met with Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Sundar Pichai, Apple's Tim Cook, Netflix's Ted Sarandos, TikTok's Shou Chew, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, among others. Some of these executives have also contributed $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund as a token of goodwill.
"In the first term, everyone was fighting me," Trump said at a press conference this week. "In this term, everyone wants to be my friend."
"Friend" might be an overstatement, but call it what you will. The truth is that none of them want to risk irritating Trump, who has the ability to tank a company's stock with a single tweet.
Iger, like any executive with a duty to the shareholders, isn't taking any chances. He has less than two years left on his contract, and he has a long list of issues to address that existed prior to Trump's victory. (Such as deciding the future of streaming, revitalizing Marvel and Lucasfilm, and choosing a successor to lead one of the largest media companies in the world. No pressure!)
However, it's foolish to think that Iger and Disney are immune to the Trump Effect. While Iger isn't making a trip to Palm Beach to dine with the incoming president, and he isn't making any lavish contributions to the inaugural fund, there are other ways to secure insurance in the Trump era. Like, perhaps, guiding ABC towards a settlement that guarantees $15 million for the president-elect's future presidential museum.
Interestingly, the ABC settlement occurred just a few days before the Hollywood Reporter revealed that Disney had removed a transgender storyline from its new Pixar series "Win or Lose." When CNN's Liam Reilly inquired if this decision could be seen as Disney distancing itself from diversity initiatives in anticipation of a second Trump administration, the company declined to comment.
Liam also noted that the trans character would still remain in the series, as confirmed by a source familiar with the situation. The decision to remove the plot point was made a couple of months ago, the source added.
In summary: Iger won't be kissing the ring quite as blatantly as some of his counterparts. But he seems to be betting that the media empire he's helped build over the past two decades can endure the next four years only if it navigates with caution and avoids unnecessary resistance.
Disney's decision to settle the case without a board vote might be seen as a strategic move to avoid potential internal communications becoming public. The settlement also included a $15 million funding for Trump's future presidential museum, indicating a business approach aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship in the Trump era.