LA Times Owner And Rob Schneider Pitch A Conservative Alternative to ‘The View’

In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory, a surprising collaboration between media mogul Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, and actor/comedian Rob Schneider has emerged. According to a report by former CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy, the two met last month at the Los Angeles Times headquarters in El Segundo, where Schneider pitched an ambitious idea: a conservative, MAGA-friendly version of The View.

The meeting, described as “special” in Darcy’s Status newsletter, was attended by Schneider and Cheryl Hines, an actress and the wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been appointed as President Trump’s Health Secretary. Schneider, who has long been outspoken about his conservative views, proposed an all-new talk show format. His idea was to create a conservative counterpart to The View, one that would appeal to Trump supporters without focusing excessively on politics.

Schneider’s vision for the show is straightforward: a fun, engaging, and entertaining all-female talk show, but with a distinctly different tone than The View. In an interview with Fox News, Schneider said, “It’ll be the opposite because this will be entertaining, it’ll be funny. We’ll have funny women on it, they’re gonna tell jokes and have funny stories and health and wellness.” Schneider emphasized that the show would offer “household names” and avoid the heavy political tone often associated with mainstream talk shows.

While it’s unclear if Soon-Shiong will have an official stake in Schneider’s new company, No Apologies Media—launched last month with plans to develop the new show—the involvement of Soon-Shiong adds a significant layer of intrigue. As the owner of one of the largest newspapers in the United States, Soon-Shiong has made waves in recent months with his efforts to reshape the Los Angeles Times editorial direction in ways that could resonate with the conservative, MAGA-leaning audience.

Soon-Shiong, who purchased the Los Angeles Times in 2018, has stirred controversy over his decisions to influence the newspaper’s editorial stance in a more neutral direction. One of the most notable moves occurred in October, when Soon-Shiong blocked the editorial board from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election. This decision led to several staffers resigning in protest.

Soon after, Soon-Shiong appeared on Fox News, where he discussed his desire to create more “balance” in the Los Angeles Times. This included the hiring of Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator from CNN and former Bush administration staffer, to join the editorial board. These moves, particularly in light of his dealings with Schneider, suggest that Soon-Shiong may be positioning himself to embrace an editorial direction with a wider appeal for his media empire.

In November, Soon-Shiong reportedly intervened to kill an op-ed that was critical of Trump’s cabinet appointments, further indicating his increasing alignment with the political right. He also instructed the Los Angeles Times editorial board to “take a break from writing” about the president-elect, a request that some staff members found troubling.

The potential collaboration between Schneider and Soon-Shiong speaks to a larger trend within conservative media: a growing demand for platforms that reflect the values and interests of Trump’s political base. The View, long a bastion of liberal voices and politically charged discourse, has become a focal point of tension for conservative audiences who feel their perspectives are underrepresented in mainstream media.

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