A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said on Saturday that the department is investigating whether last month’s decision to stop covering President Donald Trump’s activities by the White House press corps violated antitrust laws.
Department of Justice spokesperson Emily Covington said that collective boycotts among business competitors may violate U.S. law. She said, "The Antitrust Division is merely conducting an investigation to determine whether these news organizations have violated antitrust laws."
Before this statement was issued, a White House press pool of five broadcasting organizations ceased coverage of presidential events last month after the Trump administration barred CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from entering the White House.
On Saturday night, the journalist sent requests for comment to the five media outlets: ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, and NBC.
The White House press corps consists of news organizations that take turns covering presidential activities. Controversies surrounding this press corps have become a microcosm of a broader struggle: whether the president—or anyone else—can control the content of news coverage, which is a form of free speech and a pillar of American democracy.
Last month’s developments marked an unusual escalation in Trump’s actions to restrict journalists and media outlets he believed were not providing sufficient support.
CNN, MS NOW, and Polit have filed a lawsuit against the multi-day ban. The ban was lifted after the judge granted these three news organizations temporary relief, which will remain in effect until Tuesday.
Coverage by the White House press corps has also resumed.
José Samora, Head of the Committee to Protect Journalists for the Americas, criticized the government's decision to launch an investigation on Saturday.
Zamora said on X: "The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news organizations that are fighting for access to interviews. The public’s right to know depends on this access."