President Donald Trump ranted against “fake news” TV networks in a Saturday morning Truth Social post as he touted the $3.5 billion merger of right-leaning media giant Nexstar with Tegna.

“We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” Trump wrote.

He urged the Federal Communications Commission to “GET THAT DEAL DONE!”

“Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar – Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition, and at a higher and more sophisticated level,” Trump wrote. “Those that are opposed don’t fully understand how good the concept of this Deal is for them, but they will in the future.”

The merger would combine Nexstar’s 200 owned or partner outlets with Tegna’s 64 stations.

“Both companies operate stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Nexstar also owns the CW network and NewsNation,” Bloomberg reported.

Trump hasn’t always been bullish on the deal that would require the FCC to revoke a rule preventing local TV station owners from covering more than 39% of the country.

“When the deal was announced in August, Nexstar said the combined entity would reach 80% of US households,” Bloomberg reported. Trump denounced the idea in November, saying the deal “would also allow the Radical Left Networks to ‘enlarge,’” adding, “I would not be happy.”

The president’s change of heart may be the impetus needed to push the merger through.

“A Bloomberg Intelligence analysis said the missing piece for the deal to go through was Trump’s endorsement, after his November post. Now that he has voiced his support, Republican senators may be more likely to vote for the cap removal and the FCC would be more likely to approve it,” the outlet reported.

The Nexstar-Tegna merger will be up for discussion at a Senate hearing on Feb. 10 about relaxing the limits on how big TV networks can grow.

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