The Justice Department is investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News over whether they broke federal antitrust laws by suspending White House television pool coverage last month.

The networks halted the shared reporting system for several days after President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House. The pool arrangement allows participating outlets to switch off their own cameras and distribute footage and movement descriptions of the president to the wider media. A Justice Department spokesperson said the Antitrust Division is reviewing the suspension to see if the networks crossed legal lines.

"Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act," the spokesperson said, referencing the federal statute that prohibits monopolistic practices. "The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organisations have violated the antitrust laws."

The coverage pause followed Trump's accusation that the three blocked outlets made false claims about his administration. The networks sued the White House, arguing the travel restrictions violated First Amendment press protections. A judge agreed, and the White House restored the outlets' access after the ruling.

The probe comes amid a wider shift in how the White House manages media access. In February, the administration took control of the press pool from the White House Correspondents' Association, which had overseen the system for more than a century. The Trump administration also recently sued the Associated Press after barring its reporters from restricted areas like the Oval Office and Air Force One over a dispute about calling the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. That case remains active in court.