White House Launches 'Trump TV' Amid Media Access Row

Washington DC: The White House launched a round-the-clock streaming channel called "Trump TV: The Essentials Station" on Monday evening (local time), days after President Donald Trump barred reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he described as unfair coverage. The service went live on the White House's official YouTube channel and was promoted through social media teasers earlier in the day, offering continuous coverage of the administration's past speeches, major remarks and highlights, updated in real time.

Its first broadcast featured footage from Trump's address at Mount Rushmore last July, followed by content from his 2025 inauguration, suggesting the channel would largely stream archival material rather than live events, though the White House has told viewers to stay tuned for ongoing updates.

The launch coincided with a lawsuit filed the same day by CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which argue that revoking their access violates the First Amendment. Trump defended the exclusions, saying he believes outlets publishing what he calls "fake news" have no entitlement to access the White House, while officials maintain that press freedom protects the right to publish but not guaranteed entry to the White House grounds, briefing room or press pool.

The dispute follows earlier restrictions on the Associated Press over its refusal to adopt the administration's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, a ban still being contested in court, as well as the barring of a Wall Street Journal reporter from Air Force One after reporting on Trump's past association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, major US television networks have suspended their coverage of President Donald Trump's White House events following the administration's decision to bar CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC joined CNN in suspending the joint television pool coverage in protest against the ban.