Trump opened a new helipad near the White House — why did television channels ignore the event
Kyiv • UNN
Trump opened a new helipad near the White House. Four television channels ignored the ceremony after CNN was barred from covering events.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a new helipad near the White House, attempting to divert attention from a scandal involving the First Amendment to the Constitution, while major television networks did not film the event because CNN had been barred from covering it, reports UNN, citing AP.
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Trump cut a red, white and blue ribbon with enormous golden scissors. He then shook hands with officials wearing green construction vests and hard hats, attempting to create the impression that everything was proceeding as usual.
Amid the noise of the helicopter waiting for him, Trump did not answer the questions shouted by journalists before boarding "Marine One" and flying to New York.
MSNBC, Politico, and CNN filed a lawsuit after Trump announced on Friday that he was barring them from covering events at the White House. This marked a clear escalation of his longstanding efforts—both in the courts and through administrative measures—to restrict coverage of news he considers unfavorable.
CNN normally participates in a rotation system of five television networks that provide pooled coverage of daily events at the White House.
When the network was not allowed to take its usual place on Monday, ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News jointly decided to take the unprecedented step of boycotting the opening ceremony for Trump's helipad.
Trump has repeatedly boasted that the new helipad—finished with granite that, the president said, "will last a million years," and decorated with a large "Seal of the President of the United States" emblem—would impress Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrives on Wednesday for a state visit.
He was focused on impressing Xi while calling Democrats communists in an effort to help Republicans retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections. However, the attempt to restrict media access to the White House overshadowed Trump's favorite construction projects and Xi Jinping's visit.
It also pushed into the background Trump's plans to use the helipad to fly from the White House to Joint Base Andrews and from there to New York, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly session beginning Tuesday.
The U.S. president has sparked debate over the constitutional aspects of media access and devoted a significant portion of his presidency to construction projects, while a conflict involving Iran continues and his approval ratings are falling—all just six weeks before Election Day, as voters become increasingly concerned about inflation and a possible weakening of the economy.