The White House has launched a 24-hour digital streaming service known as “Trump TV: The Essentials Station” as a dispute between President Donald Trump’s administration and major US news organisations escalates.
The streaming service went live on Monday, September 21, offering viewers continuous access to presidential remarks, administration announcements, past speeches and selected highlights. The White House said the platform would be updated in real time and described it as a way to bring the administration’s major moments together in one place.
The launch came on the same day that the major US television networks suspended their shared White House television pool after the administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
The television pool normally operates on a rotating basis among ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC, with the network assigned to cover presidential events providing footage that is shared with other broadcasters. CNN had been scheduled to handle the pool on Monday.
The other networks declined to provide replacement coverage after CNN was prevented from carrying out its scheduled duties. The decision affected television coverage of Trump's activities, including his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
The dispute began after the White House barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from its grounds. The administration said the restrictions followed concerns about the outlets' reporting, while the affected organisations said their press access had been revoked because of their journalism.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the restrictions violated their constitutional rights and improperly interfered with press access. The administration has defended its position.
The five television networks said in a joint statement that the public has an important interest in receiving independent information about the government and that access to presidential events should not be restricted because of objections to a news organisation's reporting.
Trump, however, has rejected the characterization that his administration is attacking the free press. He has accused the affected outlets of producing what he calls “fake news” and has defended the decision to restrict their White House access. Those are the President's stated views and remain part of the ongoing dispute with the news organisations.
The new Trump TV stream does not replace the broader US news media. Print, radio and wire-service organisations have continued reporting on the President, while the dispute over television access centres specifically on the shared White House pool system.
The launch of the White House-controlled stream therefore comes at a significant moment in the administration's continuing dispute with sections of the US media. The legal challenge by the affected news organisations and the disagreement over access to presidential events are expected to shape the next stage of the confrontation.
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