Donald Trump is facing a lawsuit following the launch of a subscription service that charges up to $100,000 per month for prioritized access to his posts on the Truth Social platform, raising allegations of corruption.
The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, has been initiated by the Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation against Trump, two of his aides, and the executive office of the president.
The focus of the legal action is the “Truth API,” a monetized data feed introduced on August 1 by the Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social. The plaintiffs describe the arrangement as “extraordinary, corrupt, and unconstitutional.”
This service allows paying subscribers to access posts from ten prominent accounts on the platform, including Trump’s, the vice president’s, and the press secretary’s, ahead of the general public. Subscribers can choose to pay $100,000 monthly or $60,000 per month with a three-year commitment.
Neither the White House nor Trump Media has responded to inquiries regarding the lawsuit.
Trump has previously utilized Truth Social to share information that could influence markets, such as updates on tariffs and geopolitical events, leading to fluctuations in stock and oil prices. Kevin McGurn, the interim CEO of Trump Media, has marketed the service as a means for businesses to gain quick access to the platform’s most impactful posts, referring to it as a “high-margin” offering intended to generate significant recurring revenue.
The service’s launch drew scrutiny from Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, who have called on the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether this service constitutes market manipulation that advantages insiders at the expense of average investors.
The complaint reveals that Trump Media announced on August 10 that it had already acquired more than ten subscribers, reportedly including financial news organizations and high-frequency trading firms. The company is also considering licensing its data to prediction markets while attempting to prevent third-party tools from scraping and archiving Trump’s posts.
The plaintiffs contend that Trump, who is the largest shareholder of Trump Media with an estimated stake worth around $1 billion, stands to gain personally from selling exclusive access to information derived from his official role.
Additionally, the lawsuit expresses concerns about the integrity of the historical record. Subscribers to Truth API have access to a backlog of posts dating back to 2022, including those that have been subsequently deleted or modified. McGurn has indicated that the company plans to create barriers for those not coming directly to them for information.
The plaintiffs are seeking a court ruling to declare the arrangement illegal and to prevent the administration from using Truth Social as the sole platform for official communications while it monetizes preferential access to that information.
