CNN White House correspondent Betsy Cline works at CNN’s workspace outside the West Wing of the White House on September 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. CNN and MS NOW announced that reporters were allowed into the White House on Thursday after a judge ordered their access restored.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the White House television press corps’ decision to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month violated antitrust laws, an agency spokesperson said Saturday.
Department spokeswoman Emily Covington said collective boycotts between competing companies could violate U.S. law. “The Antitrust Division is only investigating these media outlets to determine whether they violated antitrust laws,” she said.
The announcement comes after the five networks ceased reporting on the president last month after the administration banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
Late Saturday, messages seeking comment were sent to five broadcast stations: ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC.
The White House press corps, a rotating cast of news organizations covering the president, has become a proxy for a broader fight over whether the president or anyone else can control what’s covered. This is a form of free speech and a pillar of American democracy.
The developments over the past month mark an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to restrict reporters and media outlets he deems insufficiently supportive.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit over the multi-day ban. The judge lifted the ban after granting the three news organizations a reprieve, which will last until Tuesday.
White House television coverage has also resumed.
Jose Zamora, regional director of the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists, criticized the administration’s decision to conduct an investigation on Saturday.
“Governments should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news organizations that defend media access,” Zamora said at X. “The public’s right to know depends on that access.”
