Donald Trump is using Ted Turner's death to bash CNN ... saying the late media mogul lost the network in his company's merger with Time Warner, and the new owners ruined it.

POTUS took to Truth Social shortly after Turner's death to highlight the businessman -- calling him one of the greatest to ever do it.

However, Trump laments what he thinks CNN has become in recent years ... claiming Time Warner's ownership of the network "destroyed it" by turning it totally "woke."

Trump says it became everything Turner wasn't about ... but, with new ownership set to take over the brand soon, he thinks they will reverse the brand's course. CNN is part of Warner Bros. Discovery which was purchased by Paramount recently in a deal worth well over $100 billion.

He ends his post by wishing Turner a fond farewell ... calling him a "friend" -- and adding that Turner was always there when he needed him.

While Trump remembers Turner as a staunch ally and supporter of non-woke causes, Turner was actually a very prominent liberal -- especially in his later years.

He supported environmental causes, curbing population growth -- and even argued in 2006 that allowing Iran to have a few nuclear weapons wasn't a problem ... the last of these points a major difference from the current administration's view that Iran's nuclear capabilities are enough of a threat to start a bombing campaign in late February.

Turner also famously backed Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election ... calling her "the most qualified individual to run this country."

Turner passed away Wednesday after a yearslong battle with dementia. He was 87.

RIP

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