'Like a fool': One moment sealed 'humiliating' fate of Trump’s new venture

President Donald Trump attends a trilateral signing event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, NY, on September 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

President Donald Trump's scheme to launch a new livestreaming "TV" channel is already getting tarred as a "humiliating" failure," and according to a new analysis from The i Paper, there was one moment that sealed its fate and made him look "like a fool."

On Monday, the same day that Trump's new press ban spiraled into a full-blown scandal, the White House launched an official app and "Trump TV" channel, intended as a "24/7" livestream showcasing the president's "biggest moments all in one place" and his official events. This came after the White House pool launched a boycott of presidential events in solidarity with MS NOW, CNN and Politico.

The launch of the new offering was far from smooth, however, with reactions online trashing the venture as akin to totalitarian "state-run TV" and viewership numbers emerging as dismal. In a Tuesday piece for The i Paper, columnist and reporter James Ball argued that one moment in particular sealed the channel's fate as a "humiliating failure."

"At first, it just seems like the kind of glitch that happens occasionally with live broadcasts," Ball detailed. "A crowd is assembled on the White House lawn, a gaggle of press photographers is ready, and they begin to applaud politely as Donald Trump walks out to unveil a new helipad. The problem, however, is you can barely hear their applause. Instead, the sound is overwhelmed by what appears to be noise from a helicopter. Usually, this kind of glitch lasts for just a few seconds before a professional switches the audio to the right feed."

He continued: "But on the official White House feed — the day it launched its 24/7 'Trump TV' online channel — the terrible, howling audio just continues. The audio is still howling 30 seconds into the clip when Trump shakes hands with dignitaries. As he addresses the assembled crowd with a few remarks 46 seconds in, all we can hear is the occasional word here and there against the relentless hum."

The incident was widely remarked upon online, with observers noting that the helipad event went live with botched audio due to the lack of press pool equipment in light of the ongoing boycott. Amid Trump's collapsing approval ratings, Ball noted that the new helipad might have been one of his few recent "wins," but now, it is "lost to multimedia history," as his team's woeful audio mishap made him look "like a fool."

Ball also argued that these flubs might potentially undercut the "alarming" totalitarian undertones of the Trump TV project.

"On paper, Trump TV should be alarming," he explained. Presidents, like all politicians, need to be covered by journalists independent of the state and of the White House political operation. If the White House controls the audio and video feeds of presidential events, they can cut out embarrassing gaffes, avoid awkward questions, and censor moments they don’t wish to be covered... And yet, even when he should look powerful and dangerous, even if only malevolent, he instead reminds us what a diminished figure he has become. He simply seems to lack the popularity and the operation to get even this done. Donald Trump is trying to run half the world — but he can’t even get a mic check right."

From Your Site Articles