WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice is examining whether the White House television press pool’s decision to suspend coverage of President Donald Trump last month breached antitrust law, a department spokesperson said Saturday.
Emily Covington, a Justice Department spokesperson, said coordinated boycotts by business competitors could violate U.S. law. “The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws,” she said.
The investigation follows last month’s decision by the five-broadcaster television pool to stop covering the president after the administration excluded CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
Messages seeking comment were sent late Saturday to the five outlets: ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC.
The White House press pool is a rotating group of news organizations that covers the president. It has become a focal point in the broader dispute over whether the president—or anyone else—can dictate the content of news reports, which are protected as free speech and serve as a foundation of American democracy.
The events last month represented an extraordinary escalation in Trump’s efforts to limit access for reporters and outlets he considers insufficiently supportive.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued over the days-long exclusion. The ban was lifted after a judge granted the three organizations a reprieve that remains in effect until Tuesday.
Television pool coverage of the White House has since resumed.
Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ regional director for the Americas, criticized the administration’s decision to open the investigation.
“The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access,” Zamora said on X. “The public’s right to know depends on that access.”
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Taxin contributed to this report from Santa Ana, California.
