Lawsuit Challenges Truth Social's Paid Early Access to Trump Policy Posts
A federal lawsuit challenges Trump Media's paid service offering early access to presidential policy posts, alleging constitutional violations.
A federal lawsuit filed in New York on Wednesday seeks to block President Donald Trump and his media company from monetizing early access to his official policy announcements. The complaint, lodged in the Southern District of New York, targets the Truth Social subscription service, Truth API, which charges Wall Street firms up to $100,000 per month for faster access to the president's posts on matters such as war and tariffs.
The plaintiffs — the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the news outlet The Intercept — argue that the arrangement violates the First Amendment, which guarantees equal access to presidential communications, and the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits imposing unreasonable conditions on government benefits. They contend that official announcements should be released to the public simultaneously, not sold to the highest bidder.
Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, called the practice "blatantly corrupt and unconstitutional," noting that selling priority access to news generated by the president for a private company he controls would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
Trump Media defended the service, stating that fast access to information is common in the industry and that many platforms offer subscription APIs. The company accused the plaintiffs of attempting to "weaponize the courts to censor" the president and harm shareholders.
The lawsuit comes as Trump Media continues to post significant quarterly losses, with its stock having fallen from $62 to below $10 since going public two years ago. The plaintiffs are asking the court to end both the Truth API service and the exclusive access arrangement with the president's company.
The suit also names Deputy Chief of Staff Daniel Scavino and Executive Assistant Natalie J. Harp as defendants. The case adds to ongoing scrutiny of the president's business ventures, including his cryptocurrency enterprises, which generated over $1 billion in income last year according to his financial disclosure.