Lawsuit Challenges Paid Early Access to Trump's Truth Social Posts
The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation sue over Truth API, a paid feed for early access to Trump's posts, citing First Amendment and market concerns.
Two media organizations have filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan seeking to halt a paid service that offers early access to President Donald Trump's posts on his Truth Social platform. The complaint, brought by The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, targets Truth API, a feed operated by Trump Media & Technology Group that charges up to $100,000 per month for early access to ten high-profile accounts, including the president's own.
The plaintiffs argue the service is "profoundly corrupt" because Trump, as the company's largest shareholder, stands to profit directly from subscriptions. They contend the arrangement violates the First Amendment by denying equal access to presidential announcements and that there is no legitimate government interest in selling such posts to private subscribers.
The lawsuit also highlights the market-moving potential of Trump's posts, which have historically influenced prices of stocks, oil, and other assets through announcements on tariffs and foreign policy. The complaint notes that many of Trump's roughly 9,000 to 11,000 posts and reposts during his second term were not accompanied by official White House statements.
Truth API launched on August 1, just days after Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether the service undermined financial market integrity. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Other White House officials are named as defendants, though Trump Media itself is not.
A Trump Media spokesperson defended the service, saying "countless" platforms already disseminate the president's information and accusing left-wing activists of weaponizing the courts to censor him. On an earnings call, interim CEO Kevin McGurn described the service as giving subscribers news "fractionally faster" than the general public.
Trump holds a 41.3% stake in Trump Media, valued at roughly $950 million through his revocable trust. Other accounts offered through Truth API include those of Vice President JD Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel, and the White House itself.