PoliticsDonald Trump Mocked for Audio Fail at the White House: 'Can We Mute Him in Real Life Too?'
Donald Trump's audio didn't work so well.
Sept. 26 2026, Published 2:57 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump's attempt to silence the media appeared to backfire earlier this week when he was left essentially talking with himself during a press conference.
Many took to social media to make fun of the situation.
Trump Mocked for Audio Fail at White House Event
Donald Trump was mocked while speaking to the press at the White House.
On Monday, September 20, Trump held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for his new helipad on the White House's South Lawn and spoke in front of roughly a dozen construction workers wearing hard hats and neon yellow vests.
The Feed Didn't Pick Up Trump
Trump was mocked by members of the media when his audio failed at a recent White House press conference
But Trump was inaudible in the live footage of the event since none of the White House press pool was present at the ceremony to mic him up properly.
Instead, the White House’s official feed was unable to pick up any noise apart from a nearby drone and a Marine One helicopter.
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'Can We Mute Him in Real Life Too?'
Trump banned journalists from CNN, 'Politico' and MS NOW from accessing the White House.
Newsmax, one of the few networks broadcasting the event, referred to Trump's lack of audio as an example of the president's decision to revoke White House access to some journalists as "backfiring just a little bit."
"Obviously, the ramifications are right here. Can't hear what the president's saying," said Newsmax host Bianca de la Garza.
Others piled on, mocking the situation.
One person wrote, "This is exactly how the media should treat him. Like the garbage he is," while another added, "Can we mute him in real life too?"
A third user added, "Watching him on mute is very therapeutic."
A fourth stated, "America doesn’t need to hear him and his lies."
The Outlets Ended Up Being Let Back Into the White House
Numerous media outlets have boycotted covering the White House in solidarity with journalists who have been barred from entering.
Trump revoked White House access last week for journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW. The president said he would ban the three outlets "as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!"
Reporters from the three outlets were barred from entering the White House earlier this week, and in solidarity, major TV networks including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News suspended their "pool" coverage duties, a shared system where a small, rotating group of reporters, photographers, or camera crews gather news, video or still images of an event and share them with the rest of the media.
As a result, there were no professional broadcast technicians or pool cameras at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to capture the event.
Days later, the White House began readmitting journalists from three media outlets — MS NOW, CNN and Politico — after a federal judge temporarily lifted the president's ban.
