“Not every big moment has made it on your tv, now it can.”
The White House posted this message on X on Monday to announce Trump TV, a 24/7 livestream of “top past moments, announcements and the latest and greatest from the administration all in one place.” While the Trump administration and members of the political right are calling this feed a win, others have different words for it: “state-run media.”
“First, Trump banned independent news from the White House. Now, he’s launching what is quite literally state-run TV to try drowning out the fact that he and his corrupt administration are failing the American people,” California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X Monday evening. “This is truly autocratic behavior from a failed President.”
The timing of Trump TV’s creation has been read as a direct continuation of Trump’s efforts on Friday to ban journalists from the White House press pool, further removing negative press from his orbit. It’s the latest example of the Trump administration’s destruction of American norms, installing a state-run media outlet with information curated from the White House.
“Trump banned journalists from asking him tough questions and is now launching his own propaganda outlet to evade scrutiny,” said @MAGALieTracker on X. “The smallest man who ever lived.”
“All the top hits, wins, + more,” the White House promised on X. You can view the Trump TV announcement below.
The installation of Trump TV, which launched on YouTube on Monday at 4 p.m. PT, comes hot on the heels of the president banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House press pool. Before the launch of Trump TV, journalists from ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox stood in solidarity with CNN on Monday, suspending their pooled television coverage.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News said in a joint statement provided to TheWrap. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
Trump TV also arrives hours after the president had audio troubles at a ribbon-cutting ceremony without press pool cameras to capture sound.
“What the hell happened to our country,” X user @ayeejuju wondered.
You can find more reactions to Trump TV below. A representative for the White House did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
However, a source with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap, “The Fake News has no place demanding a spot in the President’s Oval Office. The lies they smear are a disservice to the American public and tear at the very fabric of our Democracy. They’re completely capable of reporting from directly outside.”
