The Department of Justice announced an investigation into whether several television networks violated federal competition laws through their recent suspension of presidential pool coverage. The investigation focuses on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News, with the DoJ requesting communications related to the pool arrangement and citing potential violations of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolistic business practices.
The pool suspension occurred last month after the Trump administration revoked press credentials for CNN, MS Now, and Politico. The five networks that suspended coverage did so in apparent coordination, prompting the antitrust inquiry. In a shared media pool arrangement, news organizations typically distribute footage and materials gathered by pool members to other outlets for broader distribution.
The Trump administration justified the credential revocations by accusing the three outlets of publishing false information about the administration. Following legal action by the affected news organizations, a federal judge ordered the restoration of their access to White House facilities. The three outlets had argued that the credential restrictions violated First Amendment protections against government discrimination based on press coverage content.
The investigation is part of a broader pattern of legal confrontations between the Trump administration and news organizations. In February, the White House assumed direct control of the presidential press pool, ending over a century of management by the White House Correspondents’ Association. That same month, the administration moved to exclude Associated Press reporters and photographers from restricted spaces, citing the outlet’s use of the term “Gulf of Mexico” rather than “Gulf of America.” The AP subsequently filed a lawsuit challenging that restriction, which remains pending.
A DoJ spokesperson stated the Antitrust Division was investigating to determine whether the news organizations violated applicable antitrust laws. The networks have not yet issued public responses to the investigation.
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