DOJ Investigates Major Networks for Alleged White House Boycott

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into several prominent television networks due to claims of a boycott regarding White House events. This follows President Trump’s decision to exclude CNN and a few other outlets from covering certain events.

According to a report, the investigation is focused on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News, with DOJ officials asking these networks to provide internal communications and documents about their shared coverage. The Daily Mail published this information on Sunday.

The probe is primarily concerned with the White House television pool—a long-standing setup that allows broadcasters to alternate in covering presidential events and sharing footage with other news outlets, as per the report.

This news comes after Trump announced in September that he was prohibiting Politico, MS Now, and CNN from White House events, citing their history of reporting what he termed as fake news.

As reported by NBC News, a DOJ official commented on the investigation, stating:

“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act. The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws,” said department spokeswoman Emily Covington.

The Mail noted that the Sherman Act bans certain business agreements that unlawfully restrict competition. While these television networks do compete with one another, they have historically worked together through the White House pool to ensure that presidential events are documented and accessible to the broader press.

Currently, officials are assessing whether this cooperation constituted a violation when the networks decided to withdraw their services in protest of CNN’s ban.

In February of 2025, Trump initiated a significant push against perceived media bias, as his administration aimed to examine the industry more closely. As a result, trust in mass media among Americans plummeted to its lowest level in over five decades. A survey from that time indicated that only six percent of American adults believed journalists acted in the public’s best interests.