Media

As rumors swirl about Trump TV, Donald hosts his own debate coverage

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during the third U.S. presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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There was a new broadcaster covering Wednesday night's debate: Donald J. Trump himself.

The Republican national candidate livestreamed his own debate coverage on his Facebook page. Commentary was provided by retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. After the debate, several guests came to discuss Trump's performance, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Several pro-Trump ads and a clip from Ivanka Trump also ran during the broadcast, according to BuzzFeed.

The event had no official name, but some outlets pointed to a section called "#TrumpTV" on his official Facebook video page. However, #TrumpTV is populated with clips from other existing networks discussing the candidate.

A Trump rep did not respond to a request for comment.


Donald Trump TV network could be in the works
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Donald Trump TV network could be in the works

Rumors of a Trump network have been swirling. On Monday, the Financial Times reported that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner had "informally" approached investment bank LionTree about starting a television network after the election. However, Variety said a source close to the situation said LionTree was not pursuing the opportunity, though the report did not rule out that Trump wanted to start his own media outlet.

However, several media executives told CNBC said that Trump TV as a traditional television network was problematic, citing reasons including a lack of advertising interest. Though a digital network was possible, a former Fox network chairman was skeptical since Trump's blue collar base may not have the disposable income to pay for a monthly digital service.

Note: CNBC parent company NBCUniversal has an investment stake in BuzzFeed.