Donald Trump faces a lawsuit seeking to block paid early access to his Truth Social posts through a new service.

Donald Trump was sued on Wednesday by two media organisations seeking to shut down a new service that sells paid access to the US president’s posts on his Truth Social platform.

The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court by The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, challenges Truth API, a feed offered by Trump Media & Technology Group that charges up to $100,000 a month for early access to 10 high-profile Truth Social accounts, including Trump’s.

Truth API launched on August 1, four days after Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Adam Schiff of California called on the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether the service undermined the integrity of financial markets while enriching Wall Street, wealthy insiders and Trump.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Other White House officials are also defendants, but Trump Media is not.

Trump has long used Truth Social to disclose news, including announcements on tariffs and conflicts in the Middle East, that can affect the prices of stocks, oil and other assets.

Wednesday’s lawsuit seeks to block the White House from posting official government announcements exclusively on Truth Social while the paid feed exists.

Plaintiffs Call Service ‘Profoundly Corrupt’

In the complaint, the plaintiffs called the Truth API service “profoundly corrupt” because the president stands to gain financially when subscribers sign up.

They also said the service violated the US Constitution’s First Amendment because everyone deserved equal access to Trump’s announcements, and there was no legitimate government interest in selling his posts to private subscribers and allowing him to profit.

According to the complaint, many of Trump’s 9,000 to 11,000 Truth Social posts and reposts during his second White House term were never followed by official White House statements.

A Trump Media spokesperson said “countless” platforms and news outlets, including many offering subscription feeds, already disseminate information from Trump, a Republican.

“Now, left-wing activists are trying to wrongfully weaponize the courts to censor him” and harm shareholders, the spokesperson said.

On an earnings call on Monday, Trump Media interim Chief Executive Kevin McGurn said Truth API enabled subscribers to get news “fractionally faster” than others.

Trump is Trump Media’s largest shareholder, with a 41.3% stake worth approximately $950 million through his Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, according to Reuters data.

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

Other accounts offered through Truth API include those of Vice President JD Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel and the White House itself, the complaint said.

The SEC’s three current commissioners are Republican. (Arise News)

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