USAupdated 1h ago2 min read
US Justice Department Probes NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News Over Trump Pool Boycott
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DOJ opens antitrust probe into five networks over Trump pool suspension. Networks coordinated boycott of White House pool in protest of Trump ban.
17 outlets told this the same way.
DOJ probes TV pool boycott
The US Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into five television networks after they temporarily refused to provide pool coverage of President Donald Trump, with the probe targeting NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News. Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington said, "Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events," and she added, "Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act."
The Justice Department issued "civil investigative demands" on Friday as part of the investigation, and the agency asked ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News to hand over communications related to the White House TV pool. The White House did not provide a response when contacted about the investigation, and ABC News said it had yet to receive a formal notice from the Justice Department but anticipated receiving one.
Trump ban triggers solidarity
Trump blocked CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House after accusing the organizations of writing "fiction or lies" about his team, and the White House later reinstated their access after a ruling from a judge. The networks temporarily suspended the television press pool system last month for several days in response to the president blocking those three outlets, and the five networks jointly announced the suspension "in solidarity."
CBS News reported that a federal judge, Timothy Kelly, granted a temporary restraining order against the president's ban, and the order was extended to next Tuesday while he continued to consider the case. DW reported that on September 21, a pool of five broadcasters ceased presidential coverage after the Trump administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, saying covering the president was a "privilege, not a right."
Press access and legal fight
The investigation centers on whether the networks' coordinated response to the White House decision could be considered a practice contrary to free competition, and the DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington said, "The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws." The blocked outlets sued the Trump administration and obtained a temporary restraining order from federal judge Timothy Kelly, and the White House continued to restrict access for CNN and Politico correspondents to the Oval Office and to Air Force One.
“The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws.”
The CBS News account said the White House has continued to refuse to allow CNN and Politico into the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One even after credentials were restored, while the BBC described the First Amendment dispute over press access. The Hollywood Reporter said the DOJ probe escalated the feud, and it noted that the White House launched its own YouTube channel, Trump TV, to pipe live coverage of events to viewers.