US opens antitrust probe into TV networks halting Trump coverage

Department of Justice says it’s investigating whether the White House press pool’s decision violated antitrust laws.

US President Donald Trump speaks with media before boarding Marine One as he travels to Grand Island, Nebraska, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on October 5, 2026 [Eric Lee/Reuters]

The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into television networks’ decision to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month.

A spokesperson said on Saturday that the department was investigating whether the networks violated federal antitrust laws by their boycott, which followed a White House decision to pull the credentials of reporters from three news organisations, including CNN.

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The ⁠networks under investigation are ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News, said Emily Convington, the Justice Department spokesperson.

“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” she said of the antitrust legislation.

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

The investigation is the latest in a series ‌of clashes between the Trump administration and major news organisations. Trump has repeatedly called the mainstream media “fake news” and frequently clashes with reporters during encounters with the press.

The action also puts legal and potentially financial pressure on the media to continue coverage of the president even when they disagree with how the White House handles them.

The networks did not immediately comment on the announcement.

The Justice Department’s move 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 White House said on September 19 that covering the president was a “privilege – not a right”. The outlets ⁠sued the administration, alleging the exclusions violated the First Amendment and that the White House was retaliating over their coverage.

CNN is one of the five ⁠news organisations – along with ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC – ⁠that make up the primary White House television pool .

They share the costs of covering the president, take turns organising coverage, and share the footage with outlets around the country.

All of the five television networks that cover the White House, including Fox ‌News, suspended coverage in solidarity and refused to provide replacement coverage.

The White House reinstated the credentials on September 24 after US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the ban was likely unconstitutional and ‌ordered ‌the administration to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” their access.

However, disputes over access to specific presidential events and pool assignments continued.

Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Americas director, on Saturday criticised 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.”

美国司法部表示，正在调查白宫记者团的决定是否违反了反垄断法。

2026年10月5日，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在华盛顿特区白宫南草坪登上前往内布拉斯加州格兰德岛的“海军陆战队一号”直升机前与媒体交谈。[Eric Lee/路透社]

美国司法部已对电视网络上个月停止报道唐纳德·特朗普总统的决定展开调查。

一位发言人周六表示，该部门正在调查这些电视台的抵制行为是否违反了联邦反垄断法。此前，白宫决定吊销包括 CNN 在内的三家新闻机构记者的记者证。

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司法部发言人艾米丽·康文顿表示，正在接受调查的电视台包括 ABC、CBS、CNN、NBC 和福克斯新闻。

她谈到反垄断法时说：“商业竞争对手之间的集体抵制可能违反《谢尔曼法》。”

“反垄断部门正在进行调查，以确定这些新闻机构是否违反了反垄断法。”

这项调查是特朗普政府与各大新闻机构之间一系列冲突中的最新一起。特朗普曾多次称主流媒体为“假新闻”，并在与媒体接触时经常与记者发生冲突。

此举也给媒体带来了法律和潜在的经济压力，迫使他们即使不同意白宫处理总统相关事宜的方式，也要继续报道总统。

各电视台尚未对此消息发表评论。

司法部的这一举动是在上个月五家广播公司的电视转播联盟停止总统报道之后做出的，此前，特朗普政府禁止 CNN、MS NOW 和 Politico 进入白宫。

白宫于9月19日表示，报道总统是一种“特权，而非权利”。媒体随即起诉白宫，指控其排除报道总统的条款违反了宪法第一修正案，并称白宫此举是对媒体报道的报复。

CNN是组成白宫主要电视转播团队的五家新闻机构之一，其他四家分别是ABC、CBS、福克斯新闻和NBC。

他们分摊报道总统的费用，轮流组织报道，并将视频素材分享给全国各地的媒体。

包括福克斯新闻在内的所有五家报道白宫新闻的电视网都暂停了报道，以示声援，并拒绝提供替代报道。

9 月 24 日，美国地区法官蒂莫西·凯利裁定该禁令可能违宪，并命令政府“立即恢复”他们的访问权限后，白宫恢复了他们的通行证。

然而，关于参加特定总统活动和媒体记者团任务的争议仍在继续。

保护记者委员会美洲区主任何塞·萨莫拉周六批评了政府的调查决定。

萨莫拉在X频道表示：“政府不应利用反垄断调查来恐吓捍卫新闻自由的媒体。公众的知情权取决于这种新闻自由。”