The White House launched this week Trump TV, its own 24-hour streaming channel available through the institution's official YouTube channel. This is a move that coincides with the boycott by the major television networks in the country of 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, with the best past moments, announcements, and the latest and greatest from the administration, all in one place. Not all great moments have made it to your television, but 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 the full coverage,” says another post from the White House to promote the new channel.
The premiere and its content
The broadcast started at 7:00 PM local time on Monday with the speech Trump delivered on July 3 at Mount Rushmore, during the events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence, in which he stated that "America will never be a communist country."
The second broadcast was his inauguration speech on January 20, 2025.
The promotional video for the channel generated additional controversy for apparently using, without authorization, clips from series such as Friends, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob SquarePants, in addition to movies like Home Alone and The Dark Knight, with the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles as the soundtrack.
The use of study materials from Warner Bros., Fox, Sony Pictures Television, and Disney has raised questions about possible copyright infringements.
The veto and the boycott of the presidential pool
Last Friday, Trump announced on Truth Social a veto "effective immediately" on 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, claiming 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.
On that same day, the networks ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News 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 unequivocal:
«Starting today, the pool coverage will no longer cover events designated as presidential pool coverage. There will be no replacement pool.»
The Vice President J.D. Vance justified the veto by stating that the three media 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 give them special access?” he asked.
"State television" in the style of Russia or China
The launch sparked immediate reactions.
The Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, referred to it as "truly autocratic behavior by a failed president" and described it as "literally, state television."
Stephanie Grisham, former White House Press Secretary during Trump's first term, was more straightforward: “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 at the Committee to Protect Journalists, was even more emphatic in stating, in comments to Univision, that "what Trump did is illegal," and that the measure could generate "inhibition in other media seeing that those who are critical of the president face consequences."
The launch of Trump TV comes as the president's approval rating has dropped to 32%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, marking its lowest level, and about a month and a half before the legislative elections in November 2026, where the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be renewed.
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