Trump Faces Lawsuit Over Truth Social Subscription Service
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump was sued in federal court. The aim? To put a stop to his social media platform, Truth Social, profiting from a new paid service that offers early and exclusive access to his posts on U.S. policies.
The lawsuit claims that Trump’s deal to publish U.S. policy decisions—like those concerning wars and tariffs—first on his own platform breaches constitutional norms. The argument insists that such public announcements should be accessible to everyone simultaneously. This legal action followed the launch of a subscription service by Trump’s media company, Trump Media & Technology, which began charging Wall Street firms up to $100,000 per month for expedited access to his posts and insights.
Seth Stern, the advocacy director for the Freedom of Press Foundation—a plaintiff in this case, alongside The Intercept—stated, “A president selling preferential access to the news he produces for the benefit of a private company he controls is so blatant, corrupt and unconstitutional that it was difficult to imagine just a few years ago.”
Trump Media defended its actions, arguing that offering quick access to information is common practice in the industry. They accused the plaintiffs of attempting to silence the president. “Information from President Trump is disseminated by countless platforms and news outlets, many of which offer subscription APIs,” they mentioned, suggesting that left-leaning activists were exploiting the court to censor him and harm shareholders.
This early access service comes at a time when publicly traded Trump Media is losing substantial amounts of money each quarter, and its stock price has plummeted below $10 from a high of $62 shortly after going public two years ago.
The lawsuit contends that the agreement—which grants Truth Social exclusive access to Trump’s posts for six hours before they are shared elsewhere—violates two constitutional provisions. These include the First Amendment’s right for the press and public to access the president’s statements equally, and the Fifth Amendment, which prevents imposing unreasonable conditions benefiting the government.
The complaint demands that Trump Media abolish the new paid service called Truth API and cancel its exclusive access contract altogether.
Prior to the API’s launch, ethics watchdogs had already criticized Trump’s posts on Truth Social, viewing them as an unabashed attempt to monetize the presidency, much like various other ventures he’s engaged in, particularly those in the cryptocurrency sector. Earlier this year, he disclosed that he made over $1 billion from new crypto businesses overseen by his administration.
In the wake of his reelection, Trump’s digital finance company, World Liberty Financial, received a $500 million investment from a firm linked to the United Arab Emirates government. They also sold extensive quantities of special commemorative Trump meme coins to fans, including billionaires involved in a federal lawsuit that was later suspended and settled.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Southern District of New York, lists not only Trump but also names Daniel Scavino, his chief of staff, and Natalie J. Harp as defendants.
