(VIDEO) White House Launches 'Trump TV' Streaming Channel Days After Banning Reporters From CNN and Politico

WASHINGTON — The White House launched a 24/7 video stream on YouTube called "Trump TV" on Monday, days after President Donald Trump barred reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House over what he described as their coverage of him and his administration.

The stream's inaugural broadcast featured footage of Trump speaking at Mount Rushmore on July 3, part of a livestream titled "Trump TV: The Essentials Station," which began airing at 7 p.m. Monday. The stream's YouTube description read: "Watch the Trump Administration's biggest moments all in one place. Top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights streaming 24/7 and updated in real time. Stay informed and stay up to date!" The White House used similar language in a post on social platform X promoting the channel, adding, "Not every big moment has made it on your TV, now it can."

The video stream is also embedded on the White House's own website, positioned beside a separate box labeled "White House Live." At the time of the launch, that live window displayed an "Off Air" message advising viewers to "Stay Tuned." Below both video windows, a running chyron displays official updates and statements praising Trump's actions as president, among other content. It remains unclear whether Trump TV will carry live events featuring the president and members of his administration going forward.

Ahead of the channel's formal launch, the White House's YouTube account ran a promotional video for Trump TV that spliced together clips of characters from television shows and films, including "Seinfeld," "Family Guy" and "The Dark Knight," shown watching television, set to The Buggles' 1979 song "Video Killed the Radio Star." The words "Trump TV" flashed across the screen throughout the promotional clip.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, criticized the channel's rollout in a post on X, tying it directly to the administration's earlier decision to bar reporters from the three news organizations. "First, Trump banned independent news from the White House," Newsom wrote. "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."

The press ban that preceded Trump TV's launch was announced Friday, when Trump barred reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, citing what he called "their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said there was no specific incident that prompted the timing of the ban, describing it instead as the result of "really just cumulative stories over the last two years." He added, "You get sick of it."

All three affected outlets filed a lawsuit against the administration Monday challenging the ban. In a joint statement, the outlets said the legal action was intended "to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes."

Weijia Jiang, a former president of the White House Correspondents' Association, condemned the press ban in a Fox News interview, framing it as fundamentally incompatible with American democratic norms. "An America cannot have state TV," Jiang said. "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?"

The launch of Trump TV and the underlying press ban arrive amid a broader stretch of administration actions that have drawn sustained scrutiny in recent days, including a triumphal arch project and developments tied to the Kennedy Center, according to coverage tracking the administration's recent activities. Separately, multiple television networks have pulled out of the White House press pool in what has been described as a show of solidarity with CNN following the ban, according to reporting on the fallout from Trump's decision.

The dispute over press access comes as Trump's approval ratings have shown signs of softening in recent polling. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump's approval rating had fallen to an all-time low for his current term, according to results reported around the same period as the press ban and Trump TV's launch, though the poll's specific findings were not directly tied by any of the parties involved to the administration's decisions regarding press access.

With the lawsuit from CNN, Politico and MS NOW now pending and Trump TV continuing to stream content from the White House's YouTube channel, the dispute over the administration's approach to press access appears likely to continue playing out both in federal court and in the broader public debate over how the executive branch communicates directly with the public, independent of traditional news organizations covering the White House.