The White House has launched a 24-hour digital streaming service carrying President Donald Trump’s speeches, administration announcements and official events amid a deepening dispute with major US news organisations over access to the President.
Dubbed “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station,” the service went live on Monday, September 21, 2026, through the White House website and YouTube channel.
The White House said the platform would provide continuous updates on major developments and presidential activities.
Its launch followed Trump’s September 18 decision to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing false reports about his administration.
Journalists from the three organisations were denied access the following day. On Monday, they filed a federal lawsuit challenging their exclusion and seeking the restoration of their White House access.
READ ALSO: CNN, MS NOW, Politico Sue Trump Over White House Press Ban
The row also disrupted the television press pool, through which ABC, CBS, Fox News, NBC and CNN share footage of presidential events.
CNN was scheduled to handle pool duties during Trump’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. After its exclusion, the other networks declined to replace it, suspending the pool.
The dispute follows the administration’s February 2025 decision to take control of selecting organisations for the presidential press pool, ending the White House Correspondents’ Association’s longstanding role in managing the rotation.
The latest clash also recalls a 2018 dispute involving CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, whose White House credentials were revoked after a contentious news conference with Trump. CNN sued, and a federal judge ordered his access temporarily restored before the White House reinstated it.
The current case involves three news organisations and places presidential press access at the centre of another legal battle between the Trump administration and the US media.
Trump TV now provides the White House with a direct digital channel for distributing presidential footage and official announcements as the dispute unfolds.