Trump sued over paid Truth Social feed that gives subscribers early access to posts

US President Donald Trump was sued on Wednesday by two media organisations seeking to shut down a new service that charges users for early access to posts from his Truth Social account, including statements that can influence financial markets.

The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against Trump and other White House officials over Truth API, a service offered by Trump Media & Technology Group that charges subscribers up to $100,000 a month for early access to posts from 10 high-profile Truth Social accounts.

Trump’s account is among those included in the service, which was launched on August 1. Four days earlier, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Adam Schiff of California had urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether the service could undermine financial market integrity while financially benefiting Trump, wealthy insiders and Wall Street investors.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump Media is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Trump has frequently used Truth Social to announce major policy decisions and developments, including on tariffs and conflicts in the Middle East, that can affect the prices of stocks, oil and other financial assets.

The lawsuit seeks to prevent the White House from posting official government announcements exclusively on Truth Social while the paid feed remains in operation.

Plaintiffs call Truth API ‘profoundly corrupt’

The plaintiffs described Truth API as “profoundly corrupt” in their complaint, arguing that Trump could personally benefit financially from subscribers paying for faster access to his posts.

They also alleged that the service violates the First Amendment by giving private subscribers preferential access to presidential announcements and argued that there is no legitimate government interest in allowing Trump to profit from the sale of his posts.

According to the complaint, Trump made between 9,000 and 11,000 Truth Social posts and reposts during his second term, many of which were not subsequently repeated in official White House statements.

A Trump Media spokesperson rejected the allegations, arguing that numerous platforms and news organisations, including subscription-based services, already distribute information from Trump.

The spokesperson accused “left-wing activists” of attempting to use the courts to censor Trump and harm the company’s shareholders.

During an earnings call on Monday, Trump Media interim CEO Kevin McGurn said Truth API allowed subscribers to receive news “fractionally faster” than the general public.

Trump is Trump Media’s largest shareholder

Trump is the largest shareholder in Trump Media, holding a 41.3% stake worth about $950 million through his Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, according to Reuters data.

His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is a director of Trump Media and oversees the trust.

Other accounts included in Truth API reportedly belong to Vice President JD Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel and the White House itself.

The lawsuit comes as the SEC, which is responsible for overseeing US securities markets, has three sitting commissioners, all of whom are Republicans.