On August 31, 2025, supporters of President Donald Trump called for a nationwide boycott of Netflix after co-founder Reed Hastings donated $2 million to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50, a redistricting campaign aimed at redrawing congressional maps to favor Democrats. The November 4 ballot measure seeks to counter Texas’s GOP-led gerrymandering by potentially flipping six California House seats in the 2026 midterms. Hastings, a longtime Democratic donor who gave $3 million to Newsom’s 2021 anti-recall effort, has sparked outrage among conservatives who view the donation as Netflix aligning with progressive agendas.
The boycott gained momentum alongside unverified claims of a $13 million Netflix deal with comedian Stephen Colbert, a frequent conservative critic, though no evidence supports this. Trump supporters argue the streaming giant is pushing a “woke” narrative, with some canceling subscriptions and urging others to follow. The backlash has raised concerns about Netflix’s stock, already strained by recent price hikes. Newsom’s campaign, which raised $6.2 million online by August 22, frames the redistricting as a response to Republican electoral tactics. Opponents, led by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and donor Charles Munger Jr., who contributed $10 million to defeat Proposition 50, call it a power grab.
The controversy highlights escalating tensions over political funding and corporate influence, with both sides bracing for a costly electoral fight. Netflix has not addressed the boycott, leaving its future impact uncertain as the 2026 midterms loom.
