The White House has launched a 24-hour YouTube stream, Trump TV, to bring together “all the most important moments” of the US president’s administration in one place. It happened on 21 September, after a five-network television pool stopped covering events involving Trump in protest at CNN being barred from working at the White House.
The Trump TV stream can be watched directly on the White House’s YouTube channel or on its website. Forbes reports that the channel initially showed older events — Donald Trump’s address at Mount Rushmore, followed by his inauguration. The channel says it will also broadcast real-time updates.
“Watch the most important moments of the Trump administration in one place. The best videos, major speeches and key clips worth seeing — streaming 24/7 with real-time updates. Stay informed and keep up with the latest!” the Trump TV description says.
Context
On 20 September, journalists from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO were barred from accessing White House events because, according to the US leader, they spread “fake news”. CNN was among the five outlets that covered presidential events as a single pool. Each network took turns sending a camera crew to events, and the footage was then shared with colleagues.
On 21 September, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC issued a joint statement saying the ban was unlawful, and so they decided not to cover events involving Trump that day. The media missed the president’s meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the opening of a new White House helipad, which was broadcast without sound because the pool microphone was not there.
The ban on CNN and other media outlets visiting the White House is not the first attempt by the president to put pressure on the press.