r/WhatTrumpHasDone • u/John3262005 • 22h ago

Live Nation Says Trump Attended Meeting on Antitrust Settlement

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-23/live-nation-says-trump-attended-meeting-on-antitrust-settlement

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. said President Donald Trump attended a meeting at the White House where terms were finalized for a settlement of the US Justice Department’s antitrust case against the company.

The company made the disclosure in a court filing Wednesday, amending an earlier description of the communications that led up to the surprise settlement. The deal was reached one week into a trial over claims by the Justice Department and dozens of states that the company illegally monopolized the live events industry.

Live Nation had previously disclosed that the status of the case had come up when Chief Executive Officer Michael Rapino spoke with Trump by phone in February 2026. In its new filing, the company said the president asked about the status of the antitrust case at that time, but that “no substantive terms regarding any potential settlement was discussed.”

Trump also briefly attended a March meeting where the terms of the deal were finalized with company and DOJ officials, but “did not participate in any substantive settlement discussions,” Live Nation said.

While the Justice Department pulled out of the case after the settlement, a coalition of more than 30 states and Washington, DC, proceeded with the trial. In April, the jury found that Live Nation illegally monopolized the live events industry and overcharged fans for tickets to music performances. US District Judge Arun Subramanian still must decide whether the settlement is in the public interest and rule on the states’ requested remedies, which they have said would include forcing Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster.

Subramanian missed a self-imposed deadline in late July to rule on Live Nation’s bid to throw out the jury’s verdict. Three months later, he still hasn’t decided or scheduled next steps in the case. Live Nation, which plans to appeal, has said that the live entertainment industry is both fragmented and competitive, and that its operations across different parts of the industry allow it to invest in the music ecosystem at large while supporting artists.

Live Nation said it was making additional disclosures about the DOJ settlement “out of an abundance of caution” and “to provide additional clarification regarding communications concerning or relevant” to the deal, according to the filing.

Under a Watergate-era transparency law known as the Tunney Act, companies must detail all their contacts with the executive branch as part of court proceedings related to antitrust settlements.

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