Trump's TRUMP TV goes live as CNN, other news outlets sue: A new fight over who controls the White House feed

A confrontation between the White House and three major US news organisations escalated on Monday, as the Trump administration launched “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station”, a 24/7 digital video stream, hours after CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued over their exclusion from the White House.

The new service went live on the White House’s YouTube channel at 7 pm ET. The White House said its “biggest moments” would be brought together in one place and updated in real time.

White House press access row widens

The lawsuit by CNN, MS NOW and Politico seeks to restore their access after the administration revoked their journalists’ credentials. The organisations said their reporters were denied entry to the White House grounds on Saturday and had their press credentials confiscated after Trump criticised their coverage. They have asked the court to restore access while the case proceeds. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

CNN was also removed from its scheduled television pool duties. ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC then joined CNN in suspending their participation in the White House television pool. The pool normally provides shared video coverage of presidential events to broadcasters and other news organisations. With the pool disrupted, the White House’s own video feed has become a more prominent source of footage.

The disruption was visible later on Monday, when Trump launched a new helipad on the White House South Lawn. Viewers watching live could barely hear him as helicopter noise drowned out his remarks. In a video shared by Al Jazeera, Trump was seen cutting a ribbon on the walkway leading to the new helipad and speaking with construction workers, but his comments were inaudible on the White House livestream. “This is one example of it backfiring just a little bit,” conservative outlet Newsmax said.

CNN had been scheduled to provide the television pool feed for Trump’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. After CNN was barred, the other major networks declined to step in. Bryan Boughton, who runs the Fox News Washington bureau and was serving as the television pool chair, said in an email: “There will be no replacement pool put in place.”

The New York Times also said it would not distribute photographs taken as part of the White House still photography pool on Monday. Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the newspaper, said: “The New York Times will not publish or distribute any images taken as part of the White House still photography pool today, in conjunction with the other members of that pool and in a show of support for the news organizations being unfairly targeted by the president's barring of journalists from the White House.” He added: “We remain committed to covering the president's travel to New York City today. Americans deserve a free and independent media covering their government without intimidation, as well as comprehensive coverage of newsworthy events.”

Trump attacks outlets after lawsuit

Trump sharply criticised the three organisations after they sued his administration. In a social media post, he called them “Fake News” and said they “have brought suit to gain access to the White House”. He added, “Why should I have to give ‘access’ to such people?” and said, “FAKE NEWS IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.” In a separate Truth Social post, he wrote: “The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW.”

The three organisations said the case was about press freedom. In a joint statement, they said: “This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.” They added: “Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference.”

The case has been assigned to US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump during his first term. Kelly previously handled CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s legal challenge after the White House revoked his press access in 2018. During Trump’s first term, the White House also tried to revoke the press credentials of Playboy correspondent Brian Karem. Federal judges ordered the press passes restored.

What TRUMP TV adds to the dispute

The launch of TRUMP TV adds a new element to the dispute by giving the administration a dedicated digital platform to distribute its own footage and announcements as traditional pool coverage remains disrupted. The White House has described the platform as an “essentials station”, featuring top videos, major remarks and highlights. The first video streamed after the platform went live featured Trump’s remarks from Mount Rushmore on July 3, and a 60-second trailer highlighted his 2024 presidential victory.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute, said the stream was a source of “government propaganda”. He added: “This just makes it even clearer that the real goal here is to ensure that the American public is fed a steady diet of government propaganda.”

The standoff also came up during Trump’s meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In an exchange shared by C-SPAN on X, Mamdani said, “I told the president that we're gonna have all the members of the press here on the lawn.” Trump replied, “They said they were gonna boycott me but they never boycott me. So I wasn't very worried about that. Look at all that press.”

The dispute now centres on whether the administration can restrict journalists’ access to the White House because it objects to their reporting, even as it expands its own media operation through TRUMP TV and the White House video feed.