Trump opens White House helipad as networks boycott event over media access

US President Donald Trump inaugurated a new helicopter landing pad at the White House on Monday, while major television networks kept their cameras away because CNN was not permitted to cover the event, according to the South China Morning Post. Trump used oversized gold scissors to cut a red, white and blue ribbon during the ceremony. He also shook hands with officials wearing green construction smocks and hard hats.

The event took place amid a dispute over media access and a wider First Amendment controversy. The supplied report says Trump sought to present the occasion as business as usual while the exclusion of CNN prompted the television networks’ decision not to provide coverage. The noise from the president’s waiting helicopter was also noted during the ceremony.

The available material does not give further details about the helipad’s construction, cost or operational arrangements, and it does not include a response from the White House or CNN beyond the description of the media dispute.