Trump Answers News Media Boycott by Launching His Own Alternative, 'Trump TV'
Well, that’s certainly one way to get around a would-be media boycott.
On Monday, the White House officially launched what it called “Trump TV” — a response to the major networks and a few newspapers deciding to cut off coverage of the president because he banned three outlets from the White House.
Those three outlets — CNN, MS NOW, and Politico — are suing, claiming the move violated their First Amendment rights.
The Associated Press reported that the Monday filing said the Constitution “does not allow a president or any other government official to deprive the press of their First Amendment rights and liberty and property interests with no notice or process based solely on his dislike of the content of their reporting.”
The ban on the three outlets came “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”
However, this caused other outlets — including Fox News, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, among others — to suspend their coverage in sympathy with the banned networks, as well, The Hill reported.
Thus, Trump TV. As of right now, the live channel is playing a stream of the president’s greatest hits, starting at 7 p.m. Monday. It should bring meetings, interviews, and even remarks straight to the American public, no filter, in the coming weeks.
It is early days for the channel, however. From The Hill:
The video is also streamed via a YouTube window on the White House website. Beside the window is a box titled “White House Live.” The window read that it was “Off Air” but advised viewers to “Stay Tuned.” Below both windows is a chyron reading official updates and statements praising Trump’s actions as president, among other texts.
It is unclear if Trump TV will play live events featuring the president and his administration.
A promo for Trump TV played on the White House’s YouTube channel earlier in the day. The video used clips of characters from various media –– including “Seinfeld,” “Family Guy,” and “The Dark Knight” –– watching TV as The Buggles’s “Video Killed the Radio Star” played in the background. The words “Trump TV” flash across the screen over the clips.
However, one would expect that this is the start of something bigger. Using “Video Killed the Radio Star,” for the unaware, is a nod to the startup of MTV; it was the first video played on the channel shortly after midnight on Aug. 1, 1981. Yes, we see what you did there.
And of course, without actually knowing what the channel will air — aside from the fact that it’s a workaround for any extended media boycott — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is issuing the official Democrat tsk-tsk and implying the move is dictatorial.
“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,” he wrote on X. “This is truly autocratic behavior from a failed President.”
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. https://t.co/1vv0dNz0mU
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) September 22, 2026
What’s hilarious is that we did have actual state-run TV, pretty much, until we defended NPR and PBS.
Libs were more than fine with this, because state-run TV was basically a bunch of Valium-soaked granola-eating progressives spouting opinions no one in the private sector would pay them for. Oh, also, “Tiny Desk Concerts” generally featuring unlistenable indie bands fronted by nepo babies. (The recent “Weird” Al Yankovic one was all right, I’ll admit.)
The Democrats were livid when the obscene subsidies these apparatchiks and the content they produced got from the federal government was pulled by a Republican Congress and Republican president. Now the president has a streaming channel on a few social media outlets, which costs roughly zero in terms of production costs. It’ll likely cost less than the contents of Gavin Newsom’s wine cellar. And he wants to pretend this is like television in Ceaușescu’s Romania? Give me a break, Mr. 960 SAT.
Granted, the media boycott might not last that long — not because the media is pretty much still covering Trump the same way they always did while loudly declaring their solidarity with the three banned outlets, but because this suit got assigned to the same judge that restored Jim Acosta’s credentials in 2018 when he got banned while working as CNN’s White House correspondent. Once the reason for the boycott is lifted, they’ll all stop pretending they’ll care.
But by that point, if the White House has their act together, Trump TV could be an effective way to bypass and fact-check them all at the same time — all for almost zero cost. Impressive, and more proof that the media shouldn’t try and bluff a professional at this.
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