Donald Trump is facing a federal lawsuit from two media organizations seeking to stop his company from selling paying customers faster access to his Truth Social posts.
Truth API Faces First Amendment Challenge
On Wednesday, The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, targeting Truth API, a service launched by Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:DJT) on Aug. 1.
The service charges between $60,000 and $100,000 a month for early access to posts from 10 prominent Truth Social accounts, including Trump’s.
The plaintiffs argue that the arrangement effectively places presidential communications behind a pay-to-access system and violates constitutional protections that require equal access to government information.
"This scheme is profoundly corrupt," the complaint says, arguing that Trump could financially benefit by providing "market-moving" government information to paying customers.
"This scheme is also unconstitutional. The First Amendment guarantees equal access to the President’s public announcements, and even content-neutral burdens on that access must be narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest," the lawsuit read.
The defendants are Trump, executive assistant Natalie J. Harp, White House deputy chief of staff Daniel Scavino, the Executive Office of the President and the White House Office, all named in their official capacities.
The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Trump’s Truth Social Posts Can Move Markets
Trump has repeatedly used Truth Social to announce policy decisions involving tariffs, international conflicts and other issues capable of moving stocks, oil and other financial assets.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent the White House from relying exclusively on Truth Social for official government announcements while the paid feed remains available.
The complaint alleges that many of Trump’s estimated 9,000 to 11,000 Truth Social posts and reposts during his second term were not subsequently accompanied by official White House statements.
The service has faced scrutiny from lawmakers, with Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine whether it could compromise the integrity of financial markets.
Trump’s Stake Adds to Conflict Concerns
Trump owns a 41.3% stake in Trump Media through his revocable trust, worth roughly $950 million, according to Reuters.
Trump Media has defended Truth API, saying presidential communications already reach the public through numerous platforms and subscription-based data services.
The company accused critics of attempting to "censor" Trump and harm shareholders, the report noted.
During its second-quarter earnings call Monday, Trump Media said it had signed more than 10 customer agreements, each worth between $60,000 and $100,000 per month, for licensed access to publicly available Truth Social posts.
Trump Media posted a second-quarter net loss of more than $238 million, with the company attributing the "vast bulk" of the loss to unrealized losses on its digital asset holdings.
Meanwhile, revenue jumped 89% year over year to $1.7 million, up from $0.9 million in the second quarter of 2025.
Price Action: Trump Media closed at $8.27 on Wednesday, down 7.18%. The shares rose 0.60% to $8.32 after hours, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, DJT has a positive short-term price trend rating but negative ratings for the medium and long term.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joey Sussman
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