The White House has launched a 24-hour digital streaming channel featuring President Donald Trump’s speeches, administration announcements and other official videos, as a dispute between the Trump administration and major US news organisations intensifies.
Called “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station,” the platform went live on Monday and is available through the White House website and YouTube channel.
The White House said the stream would bring together the administration’s “biggest moments,” including major remarks, videos and highlights, with content updated in real time.
The launch came amid a growing dispute over press access to the White House.
Trump’s administration recently barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House grounds.
The three organisations have sued the administration, challenging the decision and seeking to regain access.
The dispute escalated on Monday when major television networks suspended their shared White House pool coverage after CNN was prevented from carrying out its scheduled duties.
ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said the public had an interest in receiving independent information about the government and that news organisations should not be restricted because of their reporting.
The television pool normally allows one broadcaster to provide footage of presidential events for other networks. With CNN barred from carrying out its assigned role, the networks decided not to provide a replacement for pool events.
The suspension affected coverage of Trump’s activities, including his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Other forms of reporting, including print and wire coverage, continued.
Against that backdrop, the White House’s new streaming platform gives the administration a direct channel to distribute video of Trump and other official events without relying on traditional television networks.
However, the first Trump TV broadcast relied on previously recorded material rather than a live presidential event. It included Trump’s July 3 address at Mount Rushmore, according to reports.
The White House has promoted the service as a way for viewers to access its major announcements and presidential footage in one place.
The launch also comes as the legal dispute over media access moves forward, with CNN, MS NOW and Politico challenging the administration’s restrictions in court.
The confrontation has placed the White House’s control over media access and the role of traditional news organisations in covering the presidency at the centre of a broader dispute in Washington.
