Trump sued over Truth API service selling early access to his Truth Social posts for up to $100,000 a month

Lawsuit filed in Manhattan

Two media organizations, The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, filed a lawsuit on August 12 in the Southern District of New York against President Donald Trump, seeking to shut down Truth API, a paid service that sells early access to his Truth Social posts. The complaint names Trump, aides Natalie Harp and Daniel Scavino, and relevant executive offices as defendants. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of Truth Social, is not named as a defendant. The plaintiffs argue that the service violates the First and Fifth Amendments by privileging paying subscribers with faster access to official government information and charging what they call unreasonable fees for it.

The Truth API service

Truth API launched on August 1, offering subscribers machine-readable access to posts from 10 high-profile Truth Social accounts, including Trump's, delivered within milliseconds and ahead of the general public. The feed also covers posts from Vice President J.D. Vance and FBI Director Kash Patel, among other officials. Subscription prices range from approximately $60,000 per month under a three-year contract to $100,000 per month. Kevin McGurn, TMTG's interim chief executive, said on an earnings call on August 10 that Truth API had already secured more than 10 subscribers, primarily firms specializing in high-frequency trading, and that the company was in talks with potential clients in the artificial intelligence sector. McGurn said the service enabled subscribers to get news "fractionally faster" than others.

Constitutional claims

The plaintiffs call the service "profoundly corrupt" and argue that the president stands to gain financially by selling government information that can move markets to those who can afford to pay his company. The complaint states that Trump has published between 9,000 and 11,000 posts and reposts on Truth Social since returning to the White House in January 2025, many of which were not followed by official White House statements, making his posts the sole channel for official government news in some cases.

This scheme is extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional, and the plaintiffs bring this suit to stop it.

The lawsuit also seeks to block the White House from posting official government announcements exclusively on Truth Social while the paid feed exists. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is assisting with the case.

Every American is entitled to equal access to the president's public statements.

The Intercept, a nonprofit news organization, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, which maintains a database of Truth Social posts, argue that the paid service hampers their ability to adequately cover Trump's actions.

Political and market context

Trump routinely uses Truth Social to announce policy decisions on tariffs and military conflicts, including developments in the war against Iran, that can cause significant movements in stock and oil markets. Early access to such posts, even by milliseconds, could give traders a profitable edge. Because Trump is the largest shareholder of TMTG, the launch of Truth API has raised questions about whether he is using his office for personal commercial gain. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Adam Schiff of California called on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate the service before its launch. A Trump Media spokesperson said that "countless" platforms and news outlets already disseminate information from Trump and accused "left-wing activists" of trying to "wrongfully weaponize the courts to censor him." TMTG separately reported a net loss of $238.1 million for the most recent period.