On Monday, the White House started Trump TV, a round-the-clock YouTube stream. The launch followed President Trump’s decision days earlier to keep reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW out of coverage of him and his administration.
According to The Hill, the opening broadcast was footage of Trump speaking at Mount Rushmore on July 3. It aired under the livestream title Trump TV: The Essentials Station and began at 7 p.m. The YouTube page told viewers to “Watch the Trump Administration’s biggest moments all in one place.” The same text said top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights would run 24/7 and be updated in real time.
The White House posted a matching description on X and added that not every big moment had reached television screens. The feed also appeared in a YouTube window on the White House website beside a box labeled “White House Live.” That window displayed “Off Air” and told people to stay tuned. A chyron under the windows ran official updates and statements praising Trump’s record as president.
Administration started a 24-hour YouTube feed after barring three news outlets
Earlier the same day, a promo for Trump TV played on the White House YouTube channel. The clip mixed scenes of characters from Seinfeld, Family Guy, and The Dark Knight watching TV while The Buggles’ song Video Killed the Radio Star played. The words “Trump TV” flashed across those scenes.
Whether the new stream will carry live events with the president and his administration remains unclear. Trump issued the ban on Friday.
He claimed it came after “their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said there was no single reason for the timing and that it was “really just cumulative stories over the last two years.” He added, “You get sick of it.”
The three outlets sued the administration on Monday. Their joint statement said they filed the case “to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X after the rollout. He wrote, “First, Trump banned independent news from the White House. Now, he’s launching what is quite literally state-run TV to try drowning out the fact that he and his corrupt administration are failing the American people. This is truly autocratic behavior from a failed President.”
Former White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang addressed the ban in a Fox News interview and said the United States does not operate state-run media. “An America cannot have state TV,” Jiang said.
She added: “That’s what makes America America … because you need independent actors to be able to be the observers. And if the government is only showing you what it wants, then you have to question: What are we missing?” This concern about government-controlled narratives has been raised by others, such as when a Fox News correspondent asked Trump to lift the ban on CNN and Politico.
Published: Sep 22, 2026 06:30 am