Trump sued over selling faster access to Truth Social posts : NPR
Key Points:
- Two media organizations, The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation, sued President Trump over Truth Social's Truth API service, which offers paid faster access to his posts, alleging it violates the First and Fifth Amendments by granting preferential access for high fees.
- The Truth API charges up to $100,000 a month for quicker access to posts, primarily attracting high-frequency trading firms, raising concerns about market integrity and potential insider trading violations.
- The lawsuit also names Trump aides and White House offices as defendants, accusing the president of using his office to enrich himself through this social media monetization scheme.
- Trump Media & Technology Group defends the service as a common tech industry practice and emphasizes its mission as a free speech platform, despite the company facing significant financial losses and shifting focus solely to Truth Social.
- Critics argue the service disadvantages journalists who cannot pay for faster access, potentially impacting the accuracy and timeliness of White House coverage, while highlighting broader concerns about mixing government duties with private business interests.