Justice Department probes 5 TV networks over Trump pool boycott
Why it matters: The inquiry escalates the administration’s clash with the White House press corps and tests whether shared coverage can be treated as collusion.
The Justice Department is investigating whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News broke antitrust law when they briefly halted pooled television coverage of President Donald Trump, according to the report. The department contacted the networks on Oct. 9 seeking communications and other materials tied to the White House TV pool, a long-running system for sharing presidential video among outlets. The move followed a September dispute after Trump barred CNN journalists from the White House grounds, preventing the network from taking part in the pool. CNN, Politico and MS NOW sued over that ban, and a federal judge temporarily blocked it; that order is due to expire Oct. 13.