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The son of National Enquirer’s founder dropped his bid to buy the tabloid because it looks doomed in part due to its association with Trump.

The Wrap reported:

Paul Pope, son of National Enquirer founder Generoso Pope Jr., says he will drop plans to purchase the tabloid from its current owner, American Media Inc., adding that it was his belief that the Enquirer was not salvageable.

“When I stepped back and did the 50,000 foot-view and I really analyzed this, I don’t think there is any way — even if they gave the paper away — I don’t think it can be resurrected,” Pope told TheWrap. “All businesses are cyclical and sadly this is the end of the cycle. It’s time to kiss it goodbye.”

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“The online version is nothing, the subscription is nothing. There is just nothing left,” he said. “You would need an infusion of capital of 60 plus million and that’s just a start.”

The Enquirer was killed by Trump

The publishing landscape for print publications like the Enquirer is dire. The Enquirer’s audience can now go to TMZ or any number of celebrity gossip websites to get their fix. The days when people thumbed through the tabloids while waiting in line at the grocery store are long gone. However, what made the Enquirer especially toxic to potential buyers is the legal liability the publication finds itself in thanks to its association with Donald Trump.

Federal prosecutors are looking at AMI, the current owner of the Enquirer for their role in the felony hush money payments case to pay off women Trump had affairs with. The Enquirer is also going to be facing a costly legal battle with the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, for attempted extortion.

The Enquirer was on life support, and Donald Trump pulled the plug.

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