2025 Could Be Big for Mergers if Trump Returns

If Donald Trump becomes the U. S. president again next year. Experts think this could lead to a big wave of companies joining up, especially in the media and tech worlds. Why? Because Trump is likely to change leaders at important government agencies. These leaders might let companies merge more easily. One expert, Lucinda Guthrie from Mergermarket, says 2025 could be a really active year for these deals. She thinks industries worried about taxes or regulation might be eager to merge. For example, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast are already looking for ways to grow bigger. Trump could bring changes that make these deals happen. He might replace leaders like Lina Khan at the FTC and Jonathan Kanter at the Justice Department. These leaders have been trying to stop big mergers and make big tech companies less powerful. If Trump replaces them, it could make deal-making easier. The stock market often goes up after U. S. elections. This time, it went up because people think Trump’s win could mean stronger growth, more mergers, and lower taxes. David Zaslav, the boss of Warner Bros. Discovery, has said his company might look for deals in the next few years. He hopes the next president will make it easier for companies to merge. A former FTC chair, Bill Kovacic, thinks the Biden administration made deal-making harder. He thinks Trump might take a more hands-off approach, but warns that Trump might go after companies he dislikes. If Khan leaves the FTC, it could be good news for big tech companies. They might be able to do more deals.