Report: Trump Has New Target

President Trump tweeted on Monday to his 56 million followers that he supported a small lobbying group that wants the Justice Department to open an investigation into anti-competitive behavior by Comcast and its NBCUniversal unit, reports philly.com.

The American Cable Association, a group with about 700 small cable members and 8 million cable-TV subscribers nationwide, released a statement Monday, saying that it had sent a five-page letter on Nov. 6 to Justice's antitrust division.

Small cable operators contend that Comcast gouges them for fees to carry Comcast-owned NBCUniversal broadcast and cable channels such as regional sports networks.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable-TV operator, is not a member of this association, and says it doesn't gouge.

"Trump does not like Comcast," Fox Business News' on-air reporter Charles Gasparino  told FBN host Neil Cavuto on Monday, speaking about the American Cable Association's letter in a video clip. "The president of the United States himself has privately referred to Comcast as public enemy No. 1."

The list of companies that Trump has attacked is long. These feeling the president's wrath include Macy's, Ford, GM, Merck, Facebook, Apple, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Harley-Davidson, CNN, Nordstrom, Toyota, Delta Airlines, and, of course, Amazon.

Shortly after the Gasparino/Cavuto segment aired, Trump tweeted:

American Cable Association has big problems with Comcast. They say that Comcast routinely violates Antitrust Laws. “These guys are acting much worse, and have much more potential for damage to consumers, than anything AT&T-Time Warner would do.” Charlie Gasparino

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2018

Comcast denies that it violates antitrust laws.

The tweet seemed to boost the heat between Comcast and Rupert Murdoch-controlled Fox Business News, which competes with Comcast-controlled CNBC.  Murdoch, whose family controls News Corp. and Fox News Channel, is a Trump ally and foe to Comcast.

Comcast beat Murdoch for control of European pay-TV operator Sky in a London auction in September, agreeing to pay $40 billion. Murdoch, meanwhile, steered the sale of most of his entertainment assets, including the Fox movie studio, intellectual property, cable channels, and other assets to the Walt Disney Co., snubbing Comcast.

Comcast had no comment on Trump's tweet  Monday.