Reporters raise their hands to ask questions as President Donald Trump holds a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 6, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Reactions lit up President Donald Trump on Monday to the White House's newly announced "Trump TV" initiative, as his ban on several news networks exploded into a major scandal, with one observer accusing the administration of "literally shredding the Constitution."
Trump last week announced on Truth Social that he was banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House, dubiously claiming that they were intentionally spreading lies about him and his presidency. In response, the entire White House pool launched a boycott of presidential coverage, while the targeted networks filed a lawsuit accusing the administration of blatant First Amendment violations.
Amid all of that chaos on Monday, the White House announced the launch of "Trump TV," described as a "24/7" livestreaming YouTube channel broadcasting "the Trump Administration's biggest moments all in one place." While not a traditional news outlet by any stretch, the timing of the announcement alongside Trump's assault on TV news outlets sparked numerous withering reactions across social media, accusing him of "communist" style state-run programming and "literally shredding the Constitution."
Aquilino Gonell, a former staff sergeant for the U.S. Capitol Police during the January 6 attacks, tore into Trump over the announcement, implying he was a hypocrite for doing so while also attacking Democrats as "communist."
"It will be official state-run media. But look over there…the communist," Gonell posted to X. "Literally shredding the Constitution."
"So, state-run media," the official Lincoln Project account posted. "Donald Trump is the communist."
"Otherwise known as state-run media," Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary during Trump's first term, posted. "You know who else does this? Russia, China, and Iran to name a few..."
Various reactions also took aim at the official White House app that launched at the same time, through which the Trump TV stream can be viewed, in addition to other offerings. Daniel Dale, a leading columnist and fact-checker for CNN, took particular aim at several of the "accomplishments" touted in the app.
"Just checked out this White House app," Dale wrote. "Under 'accomplishments,' it lists… 1) Gas prices from seven months ago, before the Iran war (they’re now more than $1.50 per gallon higher — $4.48, per AAA). 2) The inflation rate from seven months ago, before the Iran war (the most recent rate, for August, was a full percentage point higher, 3.4 percent). 3) GDP growth from three quarters ago (the most recent available quarter, Q2 2026, was nearly three points lower, 1.5 percent). In summary, it may possibly be helpful to consume news from news outlets."