US: Justice Department probes Trump's press pool boycott for antitrust violation

The US Department of Justice is probing the White House press pool's recent decision to cease coverage of President Donald Trump, raising concerns over potential antitrust violations. According to Emily Covington, a spokesperson for the Antitrust Division, the investigation aims to determine if the news organizations, including ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News, have breached antitrust laws.

Jose Zamora, regional director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, criticized the administration's move, asserting that the government should not employ antitrust probes to suppress media freedom defending access. The boycott occurred on September 21 when the press pool halted coverage following the Trump administration's revocation of press credentials for CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, citing the notion of press access as a "privilege, not a right."

The five television networks subsequently suspended coverage and refused to produce replacements, subsequently filing a lawsuit accusing the administration of infringing upon free speech and press rights under the US Constitution's First Amendment and alleging a retaliatory motive. The White House reinstated their press credentials on September 24 after a US district judge ordered the administration to promptly restore their access.

The White House press pool, a rotating group of news outlets covering the president, is embroiled in a broader dispute over press freedom amid the president's frequent labeling of mainstream media as "fake news."