The White House launched a 24/7 streaming channel called “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station” on Monday, days after President Donald Trump barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House grounds over what he called unfair coverage. The launch came on the same day the three outlets sued the administration to restore their access.
The White House announced the stream on its official X account, saying it would run continuously, “updated in real time,” bringing together past moments, announcements and administration news in one place. The first broadcast featured Trump’s July 3 address at Mount Rushmore, followed by footage from his 2025 inauguration. It remains unclear whether the channel will carry live events or stick largely to archival footage.
Trump announced the press ban on Friday, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly publishing “fake news.” Journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW were denied entry over the weekend, and some press credentials were disabled or confiscated. On Monday, the three organisations filed a joint federal lawsuit arguing the ban violates their First Amendment rights and, according to reporting on the filing, their Fifth Amendment due process rights as well. The case has been assigned to US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who previously handled a press-access case involving former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta.
The White House has defended the policy, saying the First Amendment protects a news organisation’s right to publish but does not guarantee any outlet access to White House grounds or the presidential press pool. The administration pointed to past instances of other administrations restricting access to outlets they disagreed with. CNN, Politico and MS NOW have countered that the government cannot selectively bar journalists because it objects to their reporting.
Speaking to reporters in New York after meeting Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Trump dismissed the idea that news organisations could pressure him by threatening to boycott coverage, calling CNN “fake news” and saying such outlets should not be allowed into what he called “a very special house.” In a Truth Social post, he criticised the lawsuit and Judge Kelly directly, and said his administration would likely appeal if the court ruled against it.
The dispute has also disrupted the White House press pool, the rotating group of networks that shares footage of presidential events. After CNN was blocked from its scheduled pool duties for Trump’s New York trip, other networks declined to send a replacement in solidarity. As a result, Trump’s meeting with Mamdani and the unveiling of a new White House helipad, held just ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, went uncovered by the usual press pool, with the helipad event reportedly broadcast without usable audio for roughly nine minutes.
(Source: The Indian Express)
