DOJ Probes White House TV Press Pool After Trump-Led Crackdown on Coverage
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The Justice Department is digging into whether the White House TV press pool’s temporary suspension of coverage of President Donald Trump amounted to an illegal restraint of trade under the Sherman Act, in a dispute that underscores escalating pressure on the press.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced an investigation into the White House television press pool’s decision to halt pooled TV coverage of President Donald Trump, examining whether the move violated the Sherman Act, which bars agreements that unreasonably restrain trade. The pool, which includes major broadcasters such as CNN, Fox News, ABC, CBS and NBC, suspended coverage on Sept. 21 after the president barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access.
The DOJ statement said the probe will assess whether the temporary suspension amounted to an unlawful restraint of trade. The Sherman Act has rarely been applied to media organizations, especially in the context of news coverage.
The suspension came after a judge’s order on Sept. 24 lifting restrictions on the three outlets after White House staff had confiscated their press passes. Even after the ruling, CNN and Politico reporters were still excluded from traveling on Air Force One, according to the New York Times.
Television pool coverage has since resumed, but the investigation adds another layer to the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and news organizations. The administration also faces a lawsuit from CNN, MS NOW and Politico over the earlier ban.
Seth Stern, chief of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, criticized the DOJ inquiry, calling it “nonsense” and arguing that antitrust law includes First Amendment exceptions even when there is an alleged competitive impact.
The White House Correspondents' Association has not responded to requests for comment.