When Donald Trump first announced his candidacy for president, the idea seemed so far-fetched that the whole thing felt like a stunt. His bid has since been legitimized by the Republican Party, which did give him the nomination back in July. But Trump hasn’t toned down the theatrics, even at more subdued gatherings like, say, nationally-televised presidential debates. Which is why the notion that Trump already has a plan B (for broadcasting) in place in the event of his loss has gained so much traction in last week. Trump’s appearance at the final debate before the election on November 8 was analyzed/promoted in a Facebook Live video that streamed on the candidate’s public Facebook page.
The “TrumpTV” hashtag for this and other videos raised speculation (and relief) that Trump’s endgame wasn’t anarchy, but a new media network. But he’s now denying any such plans. In an interview with Cincinnati radio host Scott Sloan, Trump said that, despite the obvious support for such a venture, he doesn’t really want to brand a whole network with his name.
I have no interest in Trump TV. I hear it all over the place. You know, I have a tremendous fan base. We have the most incredible people. But I just don’t have any interest in that. I have one interest, that’s on November 8th.
Despite his claims that he hasn’t just been bashing the media to score points with his supporters and ultimately offer them an alternative, though, there’s still plenty of reason to think he’s moving forward with the idea. “Trump Tower Live,” an ersatz nightly news show, streamed last night on Trump’s Facebook page. The program, which featured his campaign advisers Boris Epshteyn and Cliff Sims, was announced via email to Trump’s supporters, which suggests this wasn’t just thrown together. Well, that and the fact that “Trump Tower Live” will “broadcast” nightly right up until the election. But Epshteyn also demurred, telling AdAge that the new segment has “nothing to do with Trump TV. It has everything to do with making sure our supporters get out to vote.” We look forward to the disavowal of these denials.