Cable TV news has taken an entirely new role as a means of communication, policy driver, relationship maker or breaker, influencer and even staff evaluator in the everyday governing of President Donald Trump.
Take the president's press secretary Sean Spicer as a case in point. At a working lunch at the White House last month, the topic of job security came up, with one attendee wondering if Spicer might be the first to go because of errors he'd made as the president's spokesman, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.
"I'm not firing Sean Spicer," Trump responded quickly, according to someone familiar with the encounter. "That guy gets great ratings. Everyone tunes in."
Trump, who became widely known as a reality star from his hit show "The Apprentice," took what seems to be a flair as a natural showman and turned it into a "winning political brand," The Post explained, saying that "television is often the guiding force of his day."
One example noted that Trump's decision to launch a missile attack against Syria came in response to television images he had seen of dead and dying Syrian children poisoned with chemical weapons.
And, television newscasts are often what prompts Tweets by the president. Advisers say Trump also uses items he's seen on cable news as a pivot to policy discussions or as an issue that warrants further investigation.
Foreign diplomats have taken note and will urge their governments' leaders to appear on television in an effort to get the president's attention. And, the article said U.S. lawmakers "regard a TV appearance as nearly on par with an Oval Office meeting in terms of showcasing their standing or viewpoints to the president."
Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, said Trump's use of television can serve as a double-edged sword.
"At times, it'll lead to mistakes," he said. "Other times, it lets him move with astounding speed."
"He is very attuned to the fact that cable networks have 24 hours a day that they need to fill — and if you're interesting, you are gold," Gingrich added.
Trump's TV-watching begins early in the day, soon after waking, and continues late into the evening. Four channels are usually on nonstop in the West Wing — CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business and MSNBC. The president also watches conservative-leaning One America News and, on occasion, Al Jazeera.
Stephen Moore, an economist for The Heritage Foundation who served as a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told The Post that the president is definitely the one in charge when it came to the media.
"For all the talk about how the media is so tough on Trump, which they are, the most interesting thing about Trump and the media is that in the end, Trump totally manipulated the media," Moore said. "The media is why he won — because he completely dominated the media. That's the irony of the whole thing."
Television was also the vehicle that brought Trump and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) together to discuss policy after Cummings appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and made an appeal directly to the president to call him.
"I was a little surprised that he called. I thought his secretary would call, but he actually called," Cummings said. "But, it's the way he operates. And, he does watch television and he's very critical of television. And, I thought we had a good conversation."
Trade associations and special-interest groups have noticed the president's media habits and will buy television ad time or book a representative on a show in hopes of getting his attention.
Trump's knowledge of how to use television to communicate with diplomats, lawmakers, the American public or some other intended audience is unique, according to Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president.
"President Trump is someone who comes to the White House with a sophisticated understanding of how to communicate, the power of television, the power of imagery, the power of message, and how message, messenger and delivery all work together," Conway said.
"He appreciates when you don't look like people are bothering you or getting the best of you. He loves when you call out media bias, or what the anchors have said or not said," she added.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.