Anyone surprised by the launch of “Trump TV” hasn’t been paying attention.
Trump has always focused one thing and one thing alone—himself. That’s been clear from his insistence to be in Home Alone 2, to The Apprentice, to his election in 2016. Back in January of 2025 I wrote that Trump’s inauguration speech made clear that civil rights, facts, and even the truth itself don’t matter to him. And it isn’t randomness, but a calculated strategy. Trump lied more than 30,000 times during his first term, and as predicted, he’s continued to lie in his second term.
Yet, if you relied on mainstream media coverage, you’d hardly know the extent of these actions. Instead, we’ve seen outlets like ABC following up their $15 million capitulation to Trump with puff pieces praising his “popularity.” Meanwhile, major platforms like Facebook have announced they will no longer fact-check content, paving the way for even more disinformation. All that to arrive at a point this week where Trump issued his latest one-two punch of authoritarianism: Banning legacy media outlets from the White House while introducing “Trump TV” as a replacement of sorts. This is the state of our media today, where truth takes a backseat to profit and power. Just how bad is it, and more importantly, how do we respond?
Let’s Address This.
CNN, POLITICO, MS NOW is OUT - “TRUMP TV” is IN
In a wholly predictable manner, the years of corporate media capitulating to Trump has now resulted in a full fledged attack on the fourth estate. This week Donald Trump banned CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House. His reason? The same reason genocidal dictator Adolf Hitler provided nearly a century prior—”fake news.” Hitler called it the Lügenpresse, which translates to “lying press.” Hitler knew that a press that held him accountable is a press that is dangerous to his genocidal ambitions. Therefore, he did everything possible to undermine those with the power to sway the public against him. History documents the catastrophic result: genocide.
Donald Trump is following that exact playbook, claiming it is an “insult” to the White House to allow “fake news” to enter it in the first place. Except Trump is taking his attack on free speech a step further by introducing “Trump TV.” It’s advertised as you would expect from an authoritarian—as state media. The White House boasted:
Watch the Trump Administration’s biggest moments all in one place. Top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights streaming 24/7 and updated in real time. Stay informed and stay up to date!
Let me be clear, nothing good will come of this. Whether by Trump consolidating the FCC under Brendan Carr to use “Trump TV” to replace all broadcasting, or by Trump leaning into his love of AI to unironically produce actual fake news himself to distract from his failures, our republic is under threat. And worst of all, the legacy media outlets who have the ability to hold him accountable are meanwhile busy capitulating to billionaires and Nazi salutes. And no, this is not hyperbole.
The Death of Accountability in Legacy Media
The erosion of accountability isn’t limited to the actions of the Trump administration. It extends to the very institutions that are supposed to keep power in check.
Consider the Washington Post. Once heralded for its “Democracy Dies in Darkness” tagline, the outlet is now losing relevance at a staggering rate. According to Semafor, its daily traffic has plummeted from 24 million visits in 2021 to just 3 million in 2024.
What’s their solution? Not a renewed commitment to hard-hitting journalism, but firing their only Black full time Opinion Editor in Karen Attiah, fighting her grievance, and then being forced to rehire her after they lost.
This same Washington Post recently killed a political cartoon critical of both Trump and Bezos, further proving that they’re more interested in protecting power than challenging it. And after Elon Musk threw up a Nazi salute (twice) this is how the Washington Post covers his speech.
What “exuberant” storytelling indeed! And to be explicitly clear—it is not my opinion that what Musk committed (twice) was a Nazi salute. Holocaust scholars, senior Jewish members of Congress like Jerry Nadler, and frighteningly even neo-Nazis online recognized it as a Nazi salute. For the Washington Post to ignore it altogether is deeply problematic. But such failures make one thing absolutely clear—we cannot rely on institutions that bow to billionaires, censor criticism, and whitewash fascism.
This is but one example of legacy media capitulating to Trumpian fascism. We can make a similar case for media’s demonization of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his ‘crime’ of being a Muslim and immigrant. Or the demonization of Michigan Democratic candidate for US Senate Dr. Abdul El Sayed for daring to speak up for Palestinian humanity alongside Jewish humanity.
But as I’ve long said, I don’t propose problems without also offering a remedy. We are not helpless to media capitulation—we can act to uphold facts and accountability.
A Solution: Independent Media
I launched Let’s Address This with the vision to build an independent media platform committed to the needs of working people—not to the whims of billionaires. What began as literally me and an idea has now blossomed to a national platform with more than 200,000 subscribers, and four state platforms in Let’s Address Virginia, Let’s Address Georgia, Let’s Address Texas, and Let’s Address Illinois. Each state is led by a dynamic state director who lives in the state and reports on daily state level stories that impact people on the local level. And, provides meaningful calls to action to undo the injustice reported on.
For example, after Nabilah Parkes, our Georgia State Director wrote about Georgia leading the country in the number of flock cameras per capita, a Georgia State Senator acted upon her reporting and introduced legislation to limit flock cameras. That is a powerful and immediate impact made possible by our independent media platform. So, if you live in any of the above four states, I hope you’ll take a minute to subscribe to them. As always, no paywall, and only become a paid subscriber if in your budget. We intend to expand to all 50 states, but that takes time, money, and resources. This is where you come in.
Since launching Let’s Address This, we have reached more than 50 million readers and are soon going to publish our 1000th piece—a milestone worth celebrating. This is made possible by you, our readers. So if you value independent media committed to absolute justice, not Trumpian fascism, then subscribe and join our movement. Legacy media is failing us, and we have the power to build a better replacement.
Another Solution: Ground News
I am selective which orgs I partner with, and Ground News is one such org. We all need tools we can rely on to ensure accuracy and veracity. This is even more critical now, especially as Trump formally introduces state media. When I write, I make a conscious effort to ensure every fact is backed by verifiable data. Ground News is more than just a media aggregator; it’s a tool for understanding the bias and reliability of the information we consume. Here’s what makes it so essential to me:
Funding Clarity: Identifies who funds a news source, exposing hidden agendas.
Bias Analysis: Shows whether an outlet leans left, right, or center—and how reliable its reporting is.
Transparency: Gathers related articles globally in one place, revealing how different outlets cover the same story.
Blindspot Feed: Highlights stories that are disproportionately covered by either the left-leaning or right-leaning media. This helps you see what one side may be ignoring with a more balanced view of current events, reducing echo chambers.
Unlike billionaire-owned media, Ground News is subscriber-supported, meaning it answers to its readers, not corporate interests. And right now, if you subscribe to Ground News through the below link, you’ll receive 40% off their Vantage Plan, the same one I use to help research, write, and fact check my articles before publishing.
Why This Matters
Whether it’s Lügenpresse in German, or Fake News in English, both spell disaster for our safety and security when uttered by the head of state. Because what comes next devastates us all. We cannot solve this problem overnight, but also, we are not powerless or unable to act.
Take two meaningful actions today: Invest in independent media and invest in tools like Ground News. These are steps forward. They help us empower ourselves and our communities to better understand the world around us. We create a culture where truth matters again, where misinformation is exposed, and where the powerful are held accountable.
ABC can praise Trump. The Washington Post can rebrand. Facebook can abandon fact-checking. And Trump can start his own fascist “Trump TV.” But we don’t have to accept this fabricated reality. We can, and should, instead invest in independent media and in tools to ensure we can separate fact from fiction.
Subscribe to Ground News. Support this independent media platform. Together, we can ensure that democracy doesn’t die in darkness—it thrives in the light.
REMINDER: Rather than a monthly subscription, you can make a one-time contribution to support our human rights platform at any amount that fits your budget.
Hopefully, the news media will rediscover its actual values as a result of all of this - as has been noted, Trump is a symptom of a failing system, not the cause of its failing.
What a GREAT article, Qasim. This is all so appallingly true. And MSM's tactics are so sneaky. I now listen to MSM (mainly NPR) only to hone my skills on the clever use of language. One huge example, the way Iran is portrayed on MSM is either completely dishonest or outrageously stupid and ill-informed. Iran has done, in DEFENDING THEMSELVES, enormous damage to US bases. According to our media, "there are no reports of damage or injuries". Iran's intelligent, organized leadership is highly, dangerously misrepresented and misunderstood by our media and government. This rose-colored glasses approach to the World by our media and leadership is walking us right over a cliff. I have several outstanding independent journalists that I get my news from, including you Qasim, but God save this country when many are consuming "the World as WE see it". You cannot survive in the real World when you are living in a fantasy.