The White House has launched a new media platform titled White House Wire, modeled after the conservative-leaning Drudge Report, to circulate pro-Trump news and bypass mainstream media outlets, Axios reported on Thursday.

The report reveals that the initiative represents the latest development in the Trump administration's media strategy, aiming to amplify favorable coverage of the former president and his agenda.

A senior White House official stated that the website provides a centralized hub for Trump supporters and allies to access curated articles and share content that aligns with the administration’s messaging.

Accessible at WH.gov/wire, the White House Wire displays columns of article links from various media sources. Its visual layout mirrors that of the Drudge Report, a longtime staple of American political media. Additionally, the platform prominently features headlines supportive of Trump's performance and policies.

Among the highlighted headlines was: “THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FIRST 100 DAYS IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY,” linking to a Fox News report. Other featured stories included: “Border shutdown tops list of Trump's successes at 100 days,” from the Washington Times, and “The President's First 100 Days Is a Return to American Greatness,” an opinion piece by Republican Senator Roger Marshall published in Newsweek.

The website is also linked to Trump’s interview with ABC News.

Axios argued that the timing and content suggest a strategic focus on shaping the public narrative around the first 100 days of Trump's administration. A ticker displayed on the site read: “24/7 FORTY-SEVEN,” further emphasizing Trump's potential 2024 campaign narrative.

The creation of the site aligns with a broader communication effort by the administration to highlight its achievements and control messaging, especially amid strained relations with several mainstream news organizations, according to the report.

Political and media implications

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The Axios report highlighted that the Trump administration has previously clashed with legacy media outlets over their coverage. One notable instance involved the Associated Press (AP), which was banned after it declined to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

The White House’s efforts to limit access to outlets deemed unfriendly and to elevate Trump-friendly media personalities have sparked ongoing debate about press freedom and transparency.

Matt Drudge, founder of the Drudge Report, which once enjoyed strong support among conservatives, responded to the White House initiative by featuring news of the site on his platform.

Read next: White House bans AP, Reuters, and more from covering Trump meeting

In a pointed remark, he wrote: “IT TAKES AN ENTIRE WEST WING TO COMPETE WITH DRUDGE.” He later joked to Axios, “I'm considering a $1 trillion lawsuit!”

Once known for breaking major political scandals, such as the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, the Drudge Report has grown increasingly critical of Trump in recent years, prompting some within Trump's circle to seek alternative distribution channels for their narrative.

According to the White House official, White House Wire will serve as a one-stop resource for “supporters of the president's agenda” to access curated coverage in a streamlined and accessible format. It forms a part of a broader strategy to maintain public engagement and ensure message discipline heading into future political campaigns, Axios said.  

Trump brands media outlets critical of him as 'illegal', 'corrupt'

On a related note, Trump branded news outlets that cover him critically as "illegal" and "corrupt" during a speech on March 15.

Speaking at the Department of Justice, Trump said CNN, MSNBC, and other unspecified media outlets "literally write 97.6 percent bad about me," adding, "It has to stop. It has to be illegal."

Trump described those media outlets as "political arms of the Democrat party. And in my opinion, they're really corrupt and they're illegal. What they do is illegal," emphasizing that the news outlets are "influencing judges and it's really changing law, and it just cannot be legal. I don't believe it's legal. And they do it in total coordination with each other."

The US president repeatedly attacked the media since his first election to the presidency in 2016, calling journalists and media outlets he disapproves of as "fake news" and "enemies of the people," while his current presidency is marked by targeting mainstream media outlets with restrictions.