BREAKING: DOJ Launches Investigation into Five Major TV Networks Over Boycott of Trump Coverage

BREAKING: DOJ is officially investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News for possibly violating federal ANTITRUST LAWS after they teamed up to BOYCOTT their pooled TV coverage of President Trump a couple weeks ago

WOW!

DOJ SPOKESWOMAN TO NYT: “Members of the television… pic.twitter.com/EyoCP2n1pd

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 10, 2026

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BREAKING: DOJ is officially investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News for possibly violating federal ANTITRUST LAWS after they teamed up to BOYCOTT their pooled TV coverage of President Trump a couple weeks ago

WOW!

DOJ SPOKESWOMAN TO NYT: “Members of the television press pool have proudly boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act.”

“The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws.”

This comes after the White House blocked CNN from its pool assignment in late-September

Instead of sending a replacement, all five networks agreed together to stop covering Trump’s movements. IN UNISON.

Outlets like @RealAmVoice
stepped up to provide video when they did not.

Of course, the boycott did NOT last long

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Officials from the Justice Department contacted networks on Friday and demanded communications and materials related to the White House TV pool, the people said. The pool is a longstanding system where the networks share the responsibility of providing footage of the president and distributing it to other news outlets.

Last month, the networks collectively suspended their pool footage of Mr. Trump for several days after the president barred CNN journalists from the White House grounds, which prevented CNN from participating in the pool. Video footage of some major events, including Mr. Trump’s greeting of President Xi Jinping of China, was not carried by any major news station.

In a statement on Saturday, a Justice Department spokeswoman, Emily Covington, described the five networks as having “proudly boycotted covering White House events.”

“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” a core antitrust law, Ms. Covington wrote. “The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws.”

The inquiry by the Justice Department is a profound escalation of the Trump administration’s ongoing battles with the White House press corps. It also follows a pattern of the Trump administration using the levers of government against its perceived foes in the media. The Justice Department has subpoenaed reporters from The New York Times and seized a laptop from a Washington Post journalist.

Officials at the Justice Department have discussed a potential investigation into the TV networks for at least a week, according to another person familiar with their deliberations. The investigation, which is still in its early stages, is being overseen by the department’s civil division, led by Stanley Woodward, the associate attorney general and a former White House lawyer.

In its letters on Friday, the Justice Department demanded copies of communications among network officials that concerned pool coverage of Mr. Trump, along with any communications about Mr. Trump’s revocation of CNN’s access to the White House grounds, according to two people with direct knowledge of the documents.

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In mid-September, Mr. Trump announced that his administration was rescinding the White House credentials of journalists for CNN, MSNOW and Politico over what he alleged was “their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”

The White House also sent letters to each of the three news outlets informing them that certain articles they had published on topics including the new White House ballroom, the ongoing war with Iran and the Republican midterm convention were threats to national security and violated standards of “professionalism and decorum” for reporters.

Following the move, the five networks that make up the TV press pool jointly announced that they would be suspending their coverage in solidarity. That suspension occurred at a critical moment in that it coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington.

In a group statement at the time, the five networks said, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should reject a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

The TV press pool covers the president’s travel and events on a rotating basis, providing video to other news organizations.

CNN, MSNOW and Politico immediately filed a lawsuit to have their access restored, and U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly subsequently granted a temporary restraining order against the president’s ban, and their credentials were reinstated.

However, despite having their credentials restored, the White House has continued to refuse to allow CNN and Politico into the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One.

That restraining order was set to expire on Thursday, but Kelly extended it to next Tuesday while he continues to consider the case.

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