The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his staff on Wednesday, challenging a plan by a Trump-owned media company to monetize the president's social media posts, according to a report published August 12.
The lawsuit targets a scheme announced last month by the parent company of Truth Social to charge between $60,000 and $100,000 per month for early access to presidential posts through a service called Truth API.
The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, argues that offering preferred access to presidential missives violates the First Amendment rights of journalists and the public to have equal access to official information. The lawsuit also asserts that the monetization scheme violates the Fifth Amendment by charging unreasonable sums for equal access to government information and undermining equal protection under the law.
Ben Muessig, editor-in-chief of The Intercept, stated that the president is attempting to enrich himself by privatizing government information that he has no right to sell. Nikhel Sus, Chief Counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which provided legal support for the suit, said the litigation seeks to vindicate the principle that the president cannot profit from official government statements.
Truth API is part of an effort to generate revenue for Trump Media & Technology Group. Interim CEO Kevin McGurn stated in a July 16 press release that the API delivers a real-time feed of market-moving posts to create a high-margin revenue stream for shareholders.
The lawsuit names several defendants, including Natalie Harp, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Daniel Scavino, the Executive Office of the President, and the White House Office. Representatives for the defendants and Trump Media did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump holds a 52.1 percent stake in the company, which was valued at $4 billion when he retook the White House in January 2025. According to the complaint, the value of his stake has fallen to approximately $1 billion as the company's stock has declined. In an earnings call on Monday, McGurn revealed that second-quarter losses for the company totaled $238 million.
The monetization plan has faced criticism from lawmakers, including Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, who sent a letter to the SEC last month. The senators characterized the plan to disseminate market-moving information through the president's own company as a shocking abuse of the office of the president for personal gain.
