A television camera next to the podium in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the White House television press pool’s decision to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month violated antitrust laws, an agency spokesperson said Saturday.
What they're saying:
Emily Covington, a spokesperson for the department, said group boycotts among business competitors might violate U.S. law. "The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws," she said.
The announcement came after the television pool of five broadcasters last month ceased presidential coverage after the administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
The other side:
Messages were sent late Saturday to the five outlets seeking comment: ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC.
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CNN, MSNOW, Politico back at White House after judge lifts ban
Reporters from three news outlets banned from the White House by President Donald Trump were back on the grounds Thursday afternoon, hours after a federal judge ordered the administration to reinstate their access.
The backstory:
The White House press pool, which is a rotating cast of news outlets that covers the president, has become a proxy for the wider fight over whether the president, or anyone, can control the content of news reports — a type of free speech, pillar of American democracy.
Last month's developments marked an extraordinary escalation in Trump’s efforts to restrict news reporters and outlets that he finds insufficiently supportive.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued over the days-long ban. It was lifted after a judge handed the three news organizations a reprieve, which is in place until Tuesday.
Television pool coverage of the White House has also resumed.
Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists' regional director of the Americas, on Saturday criticized the administration's decision to investigate.
"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."
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The story is based on information from the U.S. Department of Justice, including comments from agency spokesperson Emily Covington, as well as statements from the Committee to Protect Journalists and reports about lawsuits filed by CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Messages seeking comment were also sent to ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC. This story was reported from Los Angeles.