Donald Trump gives Erin Molan his presidential seal of approval

Australian journalist Erin Molan has received a glowing endorsement from Donald Trump, who shared a clip of her commentary and called her a “great journalist”.

Trump shared the video with the message: “From a great journalist! President DJT”, giving the Australian broadcaster’s independent show a presidential boost. The clip features Molan defending his approach to Iran and arguing that polling showing the conflict ranked below other concerns for Americans reflected positively on his administration.

For Molan, discovering the post prompted an immediate call home, regardless of the hour.

“I woke up at 1am and saw… rang my poor mother who was asleep to tell her,” she told Mediaweek.

“He’s clearly got impeccable taste.”

Behind the joke, however, was a more personal response to seeing the show she has been building reach the President.

“In all honesty - as much as I’m personally excited that the US President thinks highly of me… I’m much more excited by the platforming of my work.”

A presidential compliment amid press clashes

The endorsement comes from a president whose relationship with journalists is frequently combative, with disputes over unfavourable coverage extending beyond public criticism into battles over access.

On September 24, a US federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after Trump announced a ban on the three outlets. The judge temporarily blocked enforcement for 14 days, finding the restrictions likely violated constitutional protections for free speech and due process. 

Against that backdrop, Trump’s unqualified praise puts Molan on the receiving end of a markedly warmer presidential assessment.

It also places her commentary directly before his followers, offering a potentially valuable introduction to an American audience as she expands her independent media business.

For Molan, that exposure is the part that matters most.

“I believe in it so much and care so deeply,” she said.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Erin Molan shuts down ARN rumours as Stefanovic speculation swirls

Building an audience beyond broadcasting

Molan has been growing The Erin Molan Show through YouTube, covering politics, international affairs and contentious public debates.

The show has amassed 42 million views since launching a year ago, including 1.2 million views this week alone, as Molan builds a direct relationship with audiences beyond traditional broadcasting.

Her US presence also extends through Salem News Channel, which carries the show. Salem expanded its distribution to Amazon Prime Video’s free, ad-supported streaming channel platform in March, followed by The Roku Channel.

Trump’s endorsement adds another moment of visibility to that push, and a personal milestone for the broadcaster behind it.

“My show is my passion… I spend every waking (and sleeping) hour working to build it… these wins along the way mean EVERYTHING,” Molan said.

“I also may have cried.”