DOJ Targets TV Networks for Colluding Against Trump White House
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The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into a five-network TV press pool that collectively stopped covering President Trump after the White House revoked access for CNN, MS Now, and Politico, raising questions about whether left-leaning media are illegally conspiring to control presidential coverage and undermine the administration.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Saturday that its Antitrust Division is examining whether the recent decision by a rotating television press pool of five broadcasters to suspend presidential coverage violated antitrust statutes. This follows the White House’s September 19 move to revoke credentials for CNN, MS Now, and Politico—networks notorious for their biased and hostile coverage of President Trump. In response, the press pool—composed of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC—chose to halt its joint coverage, raising concerns about coordinated efforts to manipulate public perception and punish the administration.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the agency is assessing whether this orchestrated boycott among competing news outlets could amount to an illegal group restraint. The five networks were contacted for comment on the investigation.
The White House rightly asserted that access to the president is a “privilege – not a right,” a position that led to lawsuits from the excluded outlets and a temporary court order restoring their credentials until Tuesday. Coverage by the television pool has since resumed, with broadcasters sharing costs, rotating responsibilities, and distributing footage nationwide—though questions remain about the objectivity and motives of these media giants.
“The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access,” said Jose Zamora, regional director for the Americas at the Committee to Protect Journalists, on X. “The public’s right to know depends on that access.”