Critics denounce Trump media plan to sell priority access to Truth Social posts

Donald Trump's media company is set to launch a new service called Truth PSI, which will charge for high-speed access to posts on Truth Social, including those from the former president himself. This move is intended to provide Wall Street trading firms and other institutions with information in milliseconds, enabling them to profit from subsequent market movements in stocks, bonds, and interest rates.

The plan has drawn sharp criticism from watchdog groups and legal experts. Kathleen Clark of Washington University School of Law described the service as "brazen corruption" and an "improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself." She noted that while conflict of interest laws typically bar government officials from profiting off their office, presidents and vice presidents are excluded from this provision, a loophole Trump appears to be leveraging.

Trump's company has not commented on whether the new feature profits from the presidency. Truth Social's parent company, Trump Media + Technology, did not respond to questions about the service. A press release stated that Truth PSI would allow traders to see posts from "the highest-ranking Truth Social accounts" before others. Trump himself has the largest following on the platform, followed by his sons Donald Jr. and Eric.

This initiative follows a pattern of Trump's business ventures facing intense scrutiny. His company's stock has plummeted over 70% since he took office, wiping out billions in shareholder value. This financial downturn, coupled with losses in new Trump family crypto businesses, has raised questions, especially as Trump's financial disclosures show over $1 billion in revenue last year from these same companies and offerings.

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He’s selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president. It’s yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself.