Trump spoke with Live Nation CEO before DOJ settlement

President Donald Trump spoke personally with Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino in February, weeks before the U.S. Justice Department settled its antitrust lawsuit against the entertainment conglomerate and its Ticketmaster subsidiary, according to a court filing disclosed by the company this week. The filing, submitted on Monday, details extensive communications between Live Nation representatives and federal officials over more than a year leading up to the March settlement.

Lawyers for Live Nation stated that Rapino and Trump discussed the status of the lawsuit during their conversation but did not negotiate substantive settlement terms. The filing also reveals that White House lawyers were involved in numerous in-person meetings, videoconferences, telephone calls, and written exchanges between the company and the Justice Department from February 2025 through March of this year. Other Live Nation participants in these communications included prominent figures with ties to the Trump administration, such as board member Richard Grenell, former advisor Kellyanne Conway, and attorney Mike Davis.

The federal antitrust lawsuit, originally filed in May 2024 alongside approximately 40...