Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is not over yet. But the billionaire mogul already seems to be using his moment in the spotlight to begin hyping up the long-rumored “Trump TV.”
Thirty minutes before the debate, Trump’s Facebook page went live with a video. It ran with the message: “If you’re tired of biased, mainstream media reporting (otherwise known as Crooked Hillary’s super PAC), tune into my Facebook Live broadcast. Starts at 8:30 EST/5:30 PST -- you won't want to miss it. Enjoy!” The ensuing show had its own anchors and guests.
This is exactly the kind of thing that, as Matt Yglesias pointed out at Vox, could be Trump’s next business venture after the election:
While Trump and his team do not appear capable of winning a general election in the United States, they certainly have the right mix of skills and experience to operate a successful media company, folding the existing Breitbart and Hannity franchises together with the Trump brand to form Trump TV or Trump Media.
Trump’s people, for their part, haven’t done much to dispel the rumors. Here’s what Trump campaign CEO Steve Bannon said recently, according to CNN anchor Brian Stelter’s newsletter:
Bannon did not deny talk about a potential "Trump TV" network or streaming service. When asked if there is anything to the rumors, Bannon responded with a smile and said, "Trump is an entrepreneur." He repeated the answer again later. "Trump is an entrepreneur." He also pointed out Trump's social media prowess on Facebook and Twitter. "Look at the engagement. It's incredible..."
The Facebook Live video, however, suggests that Trump’s team isn’t even bothering to wait until after the election to pull this off.
So far, though, the operation looks pretty amateurish. The lighting is poor, the sound is messy, and the show featured former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer rambling aimlessly for way too long. It’s awful.
