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Trump sued over sale of access to Truth Social posts

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Two U.S. media groups, The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation, are suing President Donald Trump over his Truth Social platform's paid access to posts.
  • The lawsuit alleges the scheme is "extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional," arguing it allows paying subscribers early access to market-moving information.
  • The media groups claim this paid service hinders their ability to cover Trump effectively, while Trump Media & Technology Group dismisses the concerns.

Two prominent U.S. media organizations have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, challenging his Truth Social platform's new feature that charges for early access to his posts. The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation argue that this scheme is "extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional."

The core of the lawsuit centers on the Truth API service, which grants subscribers nearly instantaneous access to Trump's messages on the Truth Social platform, seconds before the general public. This early access is particularly significant as Trump frequently uses the platform to announce major news, including developments on international conflicts and trade policies. The cost for this service can be substantial, reportedly reaching up to $100,000 per month or $60,000 monthly for three-year commitments.

This scheme is profoundly corrupt. The President stands to gain financially by giving ‘market-moving’ government information to those who are willing and able to pay his personal company.

— Court filingDescribing the alleged corruption in the lawsuit filed by The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation.

The plaintiffs contend that the paid service constitutes a "profoundly corrupt" practice, enabling the President to profit by providing "market-moving" government information to those willing and able to pay his company. They assert that timely access to the president's posts is critical for their journalistic work, and the paid service impedes their ability to cover Trump accurately. The lawsuit seeks a court declaration that Truth API is unlawful and requests an injunction to block future posts through the service.

Trump Media & Technology Group, the company operating Truth Social, has downplayed the concerns surrounding Truth API, which was unveiled in mid-July. Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into the service by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Kevin McGurn, interim CEO of Trump Media, stated that Truth API is already generating revenue, with 10 customer agreements signed, though client identities were not disclosed. Reports suggest trading companies were among the initial subscribers.

Timely access to the president’s posts is critical for both groups.

— FilingStating the importance of immediate access to Trump's posts for the suing media organizations.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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