I agree with that top line, PMYA, and really, it was all in the presentation.
Like if was called "Oval Office Updates" and then had a focus on "presenting the good things this administration has done in the past week", then it wouldn't be nearly as crazy. It's like OK, you'll hear all the bad stuff from other outlets (true or not), and then we want to present the good things we're trying to do; that at least comes across kind of honestly and reasonably.
But by presenting it as "Trump News" (everyone loves an egotist), suggesting all other news is fake, and then propping it up as a one-stop shop for all Trump-related news, and everything else is hooey - well everyone will see through that really quickly; except the rabid fans, of course, but that would be the same for anyone, not just Trump.
I agree that it isn't on the same level as NK, but it doesn't make it any less bizarre that a world leader would start their own news source to combat negative media portrayal.
That Yeltsin article is great, really puts the Soviet Union into perspective.