&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump's helipad event overshadowed by audio failure as major TV networks suspend pool coverage")
US President Donald Trump’s launch of a new helipad on the White House South Lawn on Monday was overshadowed by an awkward audio failure, with the sound of a helicopter drowning out his remarks throughout the ceremony. The incident came just hours after ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC suspended their shared television pool coverage of Trump’s events following the White House decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds.
Video shared by Al Jazeera showed Trump cutting a ribbon on the walkway leading to the new helipad and speaking with construction workers. However, his comments could barely be heard on the White House’s own livestream because of the helicopter noise. “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. Following CNN’s exclusion from the White House, the other major networks declined to take over its role. 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, joining other members of the pool in showing support for 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 pool dispute unfolded on 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, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. “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.” The lawsuit argues that the ban violates the outlets’ First Amendment rights and asks the court to restore their access to the White House.
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‘They never boycott me’, says Trump
Trump responded to the dispute on Truth Social, saying the White House was not targeting the free press but was instead taking aim at what he described as “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. The White House media standoff also surfaced during Trump’s meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday. C-SPAN shared an exchange between the two on X concerning 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.”
Trump meets Mamdani
How the White House TV pool works
CNN is one of five organisations that make up the primary White House television pool, alongside 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 organisations 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 platform would feature videos and highlights of the Trump administration’s achievements. 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.
