Live Nation’s chief government spoke with President Donald Trump lower than a month before the ticketing and occasions large reached a surprise antitrust settlement with the Justice Department that client advocate teams have largely panned.
The highly-unusual dialog between Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and the president was disclosed in a court filing on Monday. The disclosure additionally reveals that the White House counsel’s workplace was concerned in finalizing the settlement.
“In February 2026, Mr. Rapino discussed a variety of topics related to Live Nation’s business with President Donald J. Trump; the status of DOJ’s lawsuit against Defendants came up but no substantive terms regarding any potential settlement were discussed,” Live Nation disclosed in a court filing.
The filing raises questions on whether or not Trump was personally behind the settlement and the way carefully he’s concerned in Justice Department decision-making.
NCS has reached out to Live Nation, the Justice Department and White House for remark.
The dialog came about simply weeks before the landmark antitrust trial started and the identical month senior Justice Department management pushed out Gail Slater, the pinnacle of the Justice Department’s antitrust division. Slater was identified to advocate for aggressive approaches to the antitrust circumstances she oversaw
On March 5, representatives of Live Nation, the antitrust division, the legal professional normal’s workplace, deputy legal professional normal’s workplace and White House counsel’s workplace met to finalize the settlement, and hammered out a time period sheet signed that day, based on the court filing.
The Live Nation settlement with DOJ was introduced through the second week of the trial and blindsided the choose overseeing the case in addition to the Justice Department trial crew dealing with the case before the jury.
Judge Arun Subramanian summoned Rapino and the pinnacle of the antitrust division to court for a testy listening to. During the listening to, the choose mentioned it was “mind boggling” that DOJ attorneys didn’t find out about deal.
The trial resumed with greater than 30 state attorneys normal shifting ahead. The jury found Live Nation acted as a monopoly and overcharged followers.
After the decision was introduced, Slater wrote on X, “You made antitrust history today. You fought the good fight, you finished the race, and you kept the faith.”
The choose will in the end determine whether or not to approve the DOJ settlement and assign treatments or damages in gentle of the decision.