It was supposed to be a simple, patriotic ceremony at the White House — the raising of two grand new American flag poles on the North and South Lawns. But in classic Trump fashion, the moment turned into something much more: a viral takedown of CNN and a reminder that President Trump is firmly in command, both of the White House lawn and the media circus that follows him.
As the ceremony kicked off on Wednesday, June 18, President Trump stood proudly as the two towering flag poles — his personal gift to the People’s House — were raised into position. “It is my Great Honor,” Trump had posted the day before, “to announce that I will be putting up two beautiful Flag Poles…something which was always missing from this magnificent place.”
True to form, Trump described the poles with patriotic flair: “These are the most magnificent poles made – They are tall, tapered, rust-proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality. Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!”
But just as the flags were flying high, CNN’s Alayna Treene tried to hijack the moment — asking about U.S. involvement in Iran rather than the event she was sent to cover.
Before she could even get her full question out, Trump stopped her cold:
“Who are you with?”
“CNN,” she replied, attempting to continue.
Big mistake.
“Fake news,” Trump shot back. “Fortunately, nobody watches it.”
Treene pressed on, trying to inject foreign policy concerns into a flag ceremony. But Trump wasn’t having it. “Is anybody watching CNN nowadays?” he asked, genuinely amused. “I haven’t seen it in a long time.”
The liberal reporter kept trying to stir the pot, claiming that some of Trump’s supporters were divided over potential military action. Trump quickly shut that down too:
“Do you ever ask a positive question at CNN?” he asked, visibly annoyed.
And then came the reminder — for CNN, the Democrats, and anyone still in denial — that Trump’s base isn’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re stronger than ever.
“My supporters are more in love with me today,” Trump declared, “and I’m in love with them more than they were even at election time, where we had a total landslide.”
He continued: “We won all seven swing states . . . 7 out of 7, which everyone said would be almost impossible. We won by millions of votes. We won 2,750 districts versus 505. Think of that — 2,750 versus 505. And CNN…”
Trump didn’t even need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew what he meant.
What started as a tribute to the flag ended as a victory lap for a president who continues to dominate the political stage and the media cycle — even when they try their hardest to trip him up.
The American flag wasn’t the only thing raised on the White House lawn today. So was the bar for handling the press.
