On Friday, Trump crowed on Truth Social:
‘I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico.”
He warned that ‘other Fake News Media Outlets’ could be next and has also threatened action against the New York Times and the Washington Post.
In solidarity with CNN, all the major networks announced they would not be covering the White House and Trump. Today, even Trump-friendly FOX agreed to join the other networks in the news blackout.
What Trump didn’t count on is not having the cameras when he has an event, such as today, when he staged a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new, very expensive helipad he had built on the White House lawn.
While the White House feed had picture, there was no sound without the networks broadcasting.
The silent footage quickly drew mockery on social media as clips of the event spread online.
Veteran Capitol Hill correspondent Jamie Dupree wrote: ‘Here is what happens when you don’t have the White House TV Pool. You have video of Trump – but you can’t hear what the President is saying.’
Another X user posted: ‘He wants to be a dictator so bad he banned the press without realizing it would silence his own voice!’
Trump obviously didn’t think this through.