White House launches 24/7 ‘Trump TV’ amid media ban, draws just 8,000 viewers | Hindustan Times

The White House has launched a 24/7 streaming platform called “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station”. It will offer a continuous feed of US President Donald Trump’s speeches, past appearances, administration announcements and other official footage.The stream went live on Monday evening and was promoted by the White House on social media. It is available through the White House website and its YouTube channel.Announcing the launch, the White House said on X: “IT'S LIVE. TRUMP TV IS STREAMING NOW. 24/7, updated in real time, with top past moments, announcements, and the latest and greatest from the administration all in one place. Not every big moment has made it on your tv, now it can.” When the stream went online, it was playing archival footage of Trump delivering a speech at Mount Rushmore on July 3. About 15 minutes after the YouTube launch, the stream had just around 8,000 live viewers. The platform's description says it will feature the administration's “biggest moments” along with “top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights” and will be updated in real time.ALSO READ | Trump's speech at White House helipad launch inaudible as CNN, TV networks skip coverage; NYT joins protestThe initial programming included footage from Trump's previous public appearances, including his 2025 inauguration. The launch came as the administration's dispute with major US news organisations intensified.Trump defends White House media restrictionsEarlier Monday, Trump defended his administration's decision to restrict access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, after the three organisations filed a federal lawsuit challenging the move.Speaking to reporters outside Gracie Mansion after meeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Trump dismissed suggestions that news organisations could boycott him.“They said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me. So I wasn't very worried about that. Look at all that press,” Trump said.Trump also defended the restrictions, saying news organisations had an obligation to report fairly.ALSO READ | Major TV networks back CNN amid Trump ban, suspend White House pool coverage, ‘There will be no replacement…’“I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair. And if they're fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special house,” he said, referring to the White House.The White House has said that the First Amendment protects the media's right to publish but does not guarantee individual news organisations access to the White House grounds, briefing room or presidential press pool. In a statement Monday, the administration said access to the White House was a privilege rather than a right.Trump announced the restrictions on Friday, accusing CNN, MS NOW and Politico of publishing what he described as “FAKE NEWS,” “fiction” and “lies”.CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump administrationThe three organisations filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, DC, on Monday, arguing that their journalists' access was revoked without proper notice or due process and that the restrictions violate their First Amendment rights. They are seeking to restore their access to the White House.ALSO READ | CNN, Politico, MS Now to sue Trump administration over 'ban' from White House, President cites ‘fake news’In a joint statement, the organisations said they were acting to “protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”Trump TV: BacklashFormer US Capitol Police officer Aquilino Gonell called Trump TV “official state-run media” in a post on X. Breck Worsham, a former right-wing social media personality, wrote on X: “Trump is literally getting ready to launch a state run media called Trump TV. Didn't another dictator have a state run media or was I imagining that?” Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute, said it was a source of “government propaganda.” “This just makes it even clearer that the real goal here is to ensure that the American public is fed a steady diet of government propaganda,” he said, as per the Times of Israel.TV pool coverage disruptedThe dispute also affected the White House television pool, a system under which broadcasters share responsibility for filming presidential events and distributing footage to other news organisations.ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, along with CNN, suspended their participation in the shared television pool on Monday after CNN was barred from the White House.The White House's continuous stream went live as the traditional television pool faced disruption. On the same day, Trump inaugurated a new helipad on the White House South Lawn, but viewers watching the ceremony live struggled to hear him as the sound of a helicopter drowned out his remarks throughout the event.Trump is currently in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to take part in the high-level General Debate and hold meetings with world leaders.