As Donald Trump faces a media blockade, he’s counting on YouTube to keep him on air. A “Trump TV” stream went live on the White House YouTube channel hours after five major news organizations united against the President.
The 24/7 stream brings Trump’s “greatest hits” to YouTube.
Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and CNN took Trump off their airwaves after he barred Politico, MS NOW, and CNN from the White House press room. In a joint statement, the news organizations said that “the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government.”
Trump TV is the President’s response to the embargo. “The press, in some cases, reported inaccurately or not at all on the Administration’s many record breaking accomplishments on behalf of all Americans,” White House Head of Digital Strategy Kaelan Dorr explained on X.
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Dorr described Trump TV as “the Administration’s greatest hits, unfiltered,” but the public hasn’t shown much interest. Trump TV’s concurrent viewership has stayed below 10,000 so far.
Will Trump TV turn into a space for creator collabs?
If the mainstream media refuses to platform him, Trump can turn to his relationships with creators. Right-wing influencers have had White House access since the start of the President’s second term, and they are keeping their credentials as traditional news outlets face bans. Four days before launching his YouTube stream, Trump solidified his alliance with the Paul brothers by inviting Logan and Jake to speak to troops at the Pentagon.
Trump TV could turn into a space where the President courts more creator partners. But even if it never progresses beyond reruns, the stream’s future is an open question.
Trump TV is state-run media. How does YouTube respond?
The new stream has drawn comparisons to state-run media channels in authoritarian dictatorships across the globe. The mainstream media is taking a stand against the White House’s power play, but YouTube, like other major social media platforms, has continued to play ball with the Trump administration.
Is there a point at which YouTube will fight for the freedom of the press by shutting down Trump TV? The stream could have big implications, even if few people are tuning in.
