Justice Department Investigates White House Press Pool for ‘Proudly’ Boycotting Coverage

The Department of Justice is currently examining ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC for allegedly boycotting the coverage of certain White House events following the Trump administration's efforts to ban certain news outlets. According to a DOJ spokesperson, "Members of the television press pool have proudly boycotted covering White House events.

Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act," she stated in a Saturday statement. The Antitrust Division is conducting the investigation to ascertain if any antitrust laws were violated. The news organizations were informed about suspending their televised press pool coverage on Friday, according to The New York Times, citing six sources.

This action comes nearly a month after President Trump announced his decision to bar CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House due to their "purposely negative stories" on September 18. These outlets subsequently sued on First and Fifth Amendment grounds, resulting in a temporary injunction from a federal judge, followed by a further extension last week, which remains in effect until next Tuesday.

As a result of this boycott, there is no recorded footage of specific events, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit, which typically would have been shared with worldwide media outlets. The TV press pool resumed full coverage on September 25. While CNN, Politico, and MS NOW have been granted access back into the White House, the Trump administration is now contending that they do not possess guaranteed access to certain locations, including the Oval Office or Air Force One. Politico was even barred from covering a recent trip, despite having regained their credentials.