US President Donald Trump launched a new helipad on the White House South Lawn on Monday, but viewers watching the ceremony live could barely hear him. The sound of a helicopter drowned out his remarks from start to finish.
The audio failure came hours after ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC suspended their shared television pool coverage of Trump’s events. This followed Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds.
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. His comments, though, were inaudible on the White House’s livestream itself.
“This is one example of it backfiring just a little bit,” conservative outlet Newsmax said in their coverage of the event.
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 from the White House, the other major networks declined to step in.
{{/usCountry}}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 from the White House, the other major networks declined to step in.
{{/usCountry}}Bryan Boughton, who runs the Fox News Washington bureau and was serving as the television pool chair, said in an email that the pool would not cover events designated for pool coverage. “There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
The New York Times backs affected outlets
The New York Times said it would not distribute photographs taken as part of the White House still photography pool on Monday, in solidarity with the outlets affected by Trump’s decision.
“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.”
“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,” Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for The New York Times, said.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump
The television standoff came the same day that CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the Trump administration over their exclusion from the White House. The three outlets said they were seeking a temporary restraining order in federal court in Washington, DC. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.
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“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,” the outlets said in a joint statement Monday.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the statement continued. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
‘They never boycott me’, says Trump
Trump, on Truth Social, said the White House was not attacking the free press but was targeting, “FAKE NEWS.”
“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,” Trump wrote Monday.
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The lawsuit says that the ban violates the outlets’ First Amendment rights. The organisations are asking the court to restore their access to the White House.
The White House media standoff also came up during Trump’s meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday. On X, C-SPAN shared an exchange between the two over the White House press ban.
Mamdani said, "I told the president that we're gonna have all the members of the press here on the lawn." Trump responded, "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."
Deep Dive
What prompted the ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House?
How does the White House press pool operate?
What are the implications of the lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW, and Politico against the Trump administration?
How the White House TV pool works
CNN is one of five organisations that make up the primary White House television pool, along with ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC.
The networks share the costs of covering the president, rotate responsibility for organising coverage and distribute footage to other media outlets across the country.
White House launches ‘Trump TV’
The White House also launched a new “Trump TV” stream on Monday, Reuters reported. The administration said the stream would feature videos and highlights of the “Trump administration’s achievements.”
Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute, said it was a source of “government propaganda.” “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,” he said, as per The Times of Israel.
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The first video streamed after the platform went live featured Trump’s remarks from Mount Rushmore on July 3. A 60-second trailer also highlighted his 2024 presidential victory.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with major news organisations, both during his first term and since returning to the White House. During his first term, the White House tried to revoke the press credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta and Playboy correspondent Brian Karem. Federal judges ordered the press passes restored.