US networks boycott White House event as Trump’s helicopter-pad unveiling speech is drowned out by rotor noise

Networks boycott the ceremony

Al Jazeera reported that major US television networks chose not to cover a White House event on 21 September 2026, citing a protest over the exclusion of CNN from the media pool. The networks’ absence was presented as a response to the decision to ban the cable news outlet from the grounds.

Helicopter noise drowns out the president

During the ceremony, President Donald Trump introduced a new White House helicopter landing pad. According to the source, the sound of a helicopter’s rotors was so loud that the president’s remarks could not be heard from the start to the end of the speech.

Unverified elements remain

The report does not provide independent confirmation of the networks’ boycott or the extent to which the helicopter noise affected the speech. No other media outlets have corroborated the details, and the original video does not include audible commentary from the president. The source for the story is an Al Jazeera video feed (Al Jazeera).