Michael Rapino Met with Trump Before DOJ Settlement

Photo Credit: Michael Rapino (Instagram)

Legal documents reveal that Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino personally met with Trump and other White House officials ahead of the DOJ settlement.

Legal documents shared with Digital Music News confirm previous speculation of President Trump’s involvement in talks leading up to the Department of Justice’s abrupt settlement with Live Nation. While the president wasn’t shown to have directly hammered out any terms related to the deal, according to documents, he did personally meet with Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino.

This week, Live Nation disclosed these communications as part of procedures under the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act. The conversation between Rapino and Trump is just one of numerous communications between Live Nation and federal representatives over the last year.

Live Nation said it discussed a settlement in February and March 2026, initially with the DOJ and then with the Office of the White House Counsel. Notably, Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater stepped down from her post in February. The case went to trial in March, but the DOJ settled with Live Nation just days in—a move that surprised not only the plaintiff states participating in the case but the judge overseeing the proceedings. The judge also noted that it seemed to catch Live Nation’s attorneys pleading the case, who were not involved in the settlement discussions, off guard.

According to the documents, between February 2025 and March 4, 2026, Live Nation and its representatives had numerous in-person meetings, video conferences, phone calls, and written communications with officers or employees of the DOJ, especially with the staff of the Antitrust Division. This also included communications with the Office of the White House Counsel, and related to the negotiation of a potential settlement of the United States’ claims against Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

“More specifically, between February and June 2025, representatives of [Live Nation] […] sought to open settlement discussions with the Division,” one document reads. “In June 2025 and thereafter, representatives of [Live Nation] held meetings and discussions with persons within the DOJ Office of the Attorney General and officers or employees of the Division, which led to the commencement of settlement discussions with the Division in September 2025. [Live Nation] made an initial settlement proposal to the Division in September 2025, which was countered in January 2026.”

Then, in February, Live Nation said that Rapino “discussed a variety of topics related to Live Nation’s business with President Donald J. Trump,” noting that “the status of the DOJ’s lawsuit against [Live Nation] came up, but no substantive terms regarding any potential settlement were discussed.”

The settlement was criticized by numerous lawmakers, while Rapino called the deal “a major step in improving the concert experience for artists and fans.” Afterward, more than 30 states and Washington, D.C., opted to continue with the trial on their own. The states won the trial and are still pushing for the breakup of Live Nation-Ticketmaster. A decision from the court on the remedies necessary to address the matter is still forthcoming.