So here's a fun corporate drama: Netflix Inc. (NFLX) is trying to buy Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), and apparently everyone has an opinion about it. The latest critics include a former U.S. president and a legendary Hollywood director, but Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos isn't having any of it. He's insisting this is just business—plain and simple.

The streaming giant is in a public tug-of-war to acquire Warner Bros., facing a competing offer from Paramount Skydance (PSKY). With the deal needing regulatory sign-offs, it's drawn fire from unexpected quarters. Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social with a demand: "Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice" from its board, or else face consequences.

Sarandos, asked about the post in a BBC Radio 4 interview, brushed it off with the kind of calm you'd expect from someone used to navigating Hollywood egos. "This is a business deal. It's not a political deal," he said, according to reports. "This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the U.S. and regulators throughout Europe and around the world." He suggested Trump's social media antics might not be entirely serious, adding, "He likes to do a lot of things on social media."

More importantly, Sarandos stood firmly behind Rice and the deal itself, which has faced opposition over concerns that combining Netflix and Warner Bros.—and their streaming services Netflix and Max—would create a media behemoth too big for its own good. But Sarandos framed it differently. He argued that Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. is a vertical merger, which is about growth and expansion into new areas. In contrast, he pointed out, a deal between Warner and rival Paramount would be a horizontal merger, combining direct competitors. "Always bad for consumers," he said of such horizontal deals. "Our deal is growth."

But Trump isn't the only high-profile voice raising objections. Director James Cameron, of "Titanic" and "Avatar" fame, sent a letter to the Senate antitrust subcommittee opposing the merger. Cameron warned it could lead to job losses in the media sector and be "disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business."

Sarandos had a response for that, too. He told the BBC that he personally met with Cameron in December and reassured him about Netflix's commitment to the traditional 45-day exclusive theatrical release window for films. "We spent five minutes of our conversation on that," Sarandos said, downplaying the concern. He even suggested that the real threat to movie theaters isn't streaming mergers, but YouTube. It's a classic move: when criticized, point to a bigger, scarier competitor.

So, where does this leave us? Netflix is pushing ahead with a major acquisition, batting away political pressure and Hollywood skepticism alike. Sarandos is playing the pragmatic CEO, insisting regulators should judge the deal on business grounds, not political noise. Whether that argument holds up in the halls of the DOJ—and in the court of public opinion—remains to be seen. But for now, the message from Netflix HQ is clear: this isn't about politics or popcorn; it's just business.