Nicolai Haugsted
Trump launches 24-hour channel while major media outlets fight for White House access.
Donald Trump’s relationship with the American media has entered another turbulent chapter.
Days after banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, the administration has unveiled a new way for viewers to follow the president without relying on traditional television networks.
Its name leaves little room for confusion.
Trump TV officially launched Monday as a 24-hour stream operated through White House digital platforms, promising speeches, announcements, highlights and administration news around the clock.
The timing is difficult to ignore. Three major news organizations are suing Trump over their removal from the White House, while four television networks have suspended presidential pool coverage in solidarity with CNN.
Trump TV promises round-the-clock coverage
The White House has branded the stream “Trump TV: The Essentials Station.”
Officially, the concept is straightforward: viewers can watch major moments from the Trump administration in one continuously updated stream.
The White House describes it as carrying “top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights streaming 24/7 and updated in real time.”
Material available through the White House video operation includes presidential appearances, administration events, press briefings and shorter promotional clips.
Trump TV therefore resembles a permanent administration-controlled feed more than a conventional television network with reporters, correspondents and independent editorial oversight.
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Three news organizations are fighting their ban in court
The launch arrives immediately after Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
Trump announced the decision Friday, accusing the organizations of repeatedly publishing “FAKE NEWS” and saying additional outlets could follow. CNN rejected his characterization and defended its reporting.
White House credentials belonging to journalists from the three organizations were subsequently revoked.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have now filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the administration violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights.
“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the organizations said jointly.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting.”
Trump maintains that his actions target what he calls fake news rather than press freedom.
Major networks rally behind CNN
The dispute has spread beyond the three organizations directly targeted by Trump.
ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and Fox News have suspended their participation in television pool coverage of presidential events after CNN was prevented from performing its assigned pool duties.
Together with CNN, the networks said:
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
The decision means the major networks are temporarily withholding the shared television coverage normally produced by the White House pool.
Fox News joining the protest is particularly notable given that the network is frequently viewed as friendlier territory for Trump than CNN or MS NOW.
