The White House launched this week Trump TV, its own 24/7 streaming channel available through the institution's official YouTube channel.
This is a maneuver that coincides with the boycott by the major television networks in the country against presidential coverage in protest of the ban imposed on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.
The announcement was published on the official White House account on X:
"Trump TV is now broadcasting. 24/7, updated in real-time, featuring the best past moments, announcements, and the latest and greatest from the administration, all in one place. Not all the great moments have made it to your television, now they can."
"Did you miss President Trump's speech at the UN? Did you miss the historic signing of the agreement on Greenland? Tune in to TRUMP TV at 12:05 p.m. (Eastern Time) to watch it in full," says another of the White House's posts promoting the new channel.
The premiere and its content
The broadcast began at 7:00 PM local time on Monday with the speech that Trump delivered on July 3 at Mount Rushmore, during the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, in which he stated, "America will never be a communist country."
The second broadcast was his inauguration speech on January 20, 2025.
The promotional video for the channel sparked further controversy for apparently using, without authorization, clips from series such as Friends, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob, as well as movies like Home Alone and The Dark Knight, with the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles serving as the soundtrack.
The use of study materials from Warner Bros., Fox, Sony Pictures Television, and Disney has raised questions about potential copyright infringements.
The veto and boycott of the presidential pool
Last Friday, Trump announced on Truth Social the veto "effective immediately" against CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, accusing them of spreading "fake news" and labeling them as "third-rate clowns" who "violate national security with false and defamatory news."
This Monday, the three outlets filed an emergency lawsuit before a federal judge in the District of Columbia, alleging a violation of the First Amendment.
"This prohibition could not constitute a more direct attack on the First Amendment nor a more flagrant violation of our fundamental constitutional principles," they stated in a joint statement.
That same day, the ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News networks suspended their participation in the White House's rotating coverage system.
Bryan Boughton, head of the Washington office of Fox News and acting president of the pool, was emphatic:
«Starting today, the pool coverage will no longer cover events designated as pool coverage for the president. There will be no replacement pool».
The vice president J.D. Vance justified the veto by stating that the three outlets publish "92%" negative stories about the administration.
"If they are going to participate in what is, in practice, extreme left propaganda, why would a Republican White House grant them special access?" he asked.
"State television" in the style of Russia or China
The launch triggered immediate reactions.
The Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, described it as "truly autocratic behavior from a failed president" and characterized it as "literally, state television."
Stephanie Grisham, former White House Press Secretary during Trump's first term, was more direct: “Do you know who else does this? Russia, China, and Iran, to name a few.”
Weijia Jiang, former president of the White House Correspondents' Association, warned on Fox News that "if the Government only shows you what it wants, you have to ask yourself: what are we missing?".
José Zamora, director for the Americas of the Committee to Protect Journalists, was even more emphatic when he stated in an interview with Univision that "what Trump did is illegal," and that this action could create "chilling effects on other media seeing that those who are critical of the president are being punished."
The launch of Trump TV comes as the president's approval rating has fallen to 32% according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, marking his lowest level, and approximately a month and a half before the legislative elections in November 2026, in which the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate will be renewed.
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