President Donald J. Trump told NBC News anchor Tom Llamas in an exclusive Wednesday interview that he will not be involved in the Justice Department’s review of Netflix’s proposed $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, reversing his December comments suggesting he might personally weigh in on the deal.

“I haven’t been involved. I must say, I guess I’m considered to be a very strong president. I’ve been called by both sides. It’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Justice Department will handle it,” Trump said, noting the dispute between bidders. “There’s a theory that one of the companies is too big and it shouldn’t be allowed to do it, and the other company is saying something else. They’re beating the hell out of each other, and there’ll be a winner.”

In December, Trump expressed concern over market concentration after Netflix announced its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s film studio, HBO, and Max streaming service, while Paramount Skydance pursued a competing bid for the broader company.

Trump’s decision to step back could favor Netflix, which holds an all-cash offer viewed as a defense against Paramount Skydance’s hostile takeover attempt led by David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison. In January, Trump disclosed purchasing up to $2 million in Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery bonds shortly after the deal announcement, though the White House maintains no conflict exists.

While Trump has previously criticized media companies such as CNN (owned by Warner Bros. Discovery) and commented on major corporate deals like Nippon Steel’s U.S. Steel acquisition, he said he is leaving oversight to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and foreign regulators, including the European Commission.

Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders could vote on Netflix’s proposal as early as March, though U.S. and international antitrust scrutiny remains a critical factor. On Tuesday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, defending the deal as a way to expand competition while facing questions from Democrats on consolidation and labor impacts and Republicans on “woke” content.