US investigates ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC over possible antitrust violations, new tensions with Trump

The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into five major television networks, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC, to determine whether they violated antitrust rules.

The investigation was confirmed by a senior department official at a time when relations between President Donald Trump’s administration and major US media outlets are becoming increasingly strained.

According to The New York Times, this represents another step in the escalation of the conflict between the White House and media organizations that have criticized the government’s decisions.

The case is linked to an incident last month, when the five networks simultaneously decided to stop covering President Donald Trump’s joint events at the White House. The decision came after the administration denied CNN, MS NOW and Politico access to the presidential premises.

Coverage of presidential activities later resumed after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore access for the three excluded media outlets.

Emily Covington, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, said authorities were examining whether the television networks’ actions constituted violations of laws that guarantee competition.

“Members of the television press pool have boycotted coverage of events at the White House. Collective boycotts among commercial competitors may violate the Sherman Act,” Covington said, referring to the federal law against anticompetitive practices.

The spokesperson also announced that the Antitrust Division was verifying whether the networks had acted in violation of the law.

ABC said it had not yet received official notification of the investigation but expected one to be sent. Reports indicate that at least one of the other networks had been informed of the matter.

The Department of Justice’s decision has drawn objections from organizations that defend press freedom. José Zamora, a representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists, criticized the use of antitrust investigations against media outlets seeking to preserve journalists’ access.

“The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate media outlets that defend press access,” Zamora wrote on the X platform, emphasizing the importance of informing the public.

Seth Stern, an official with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, also described the investigation as unfounded. In his view, the networks’ decision not to broadcast some of the president’s activities does not automatically mean that competition was violated.

The confrontation between the Trump administration and the media extends beyond the issue of access to the White House. The Pentagon has approved new rules governing journalists’ access to its facilities, while several measures by federal institutions targeting journalists have sparked debates and lawsuits.

The Sherman Act, enacted in 1890, is one of the main US laws protecting competition. It prohibits agreements and practices that unlawfully restrict competition in the market.

Department of Justice investigators are analyzing whether the coordinated action by the five networks could constitute a violation of this law. However, opening an investigation does not mean that the media outlets have been found guilty, and the case is still at the review stage.