Trump sued over service that offers paid early access to Truth Social posts

Two media entities, The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, the White House, and Trump Media & Technology Group on August 12 in Manhattan federal court. The lawsuit targets Truth API, a paid service launched on August 1 by Trump Media, alleging that it undermines market integrity and violates the First Amendment.

Truth API offers subscribers up to $100,000 a month for early access to ten high-profile accounts on Trump's Truth Social platform, including those of Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, and others. The plaintiffs argue that the service is "profoundly corrupt" since Trump stands to gain financially when subscribers sign up. They also claim that the First Amendment protects the right to equal access to Trump's announcements, and selling them to private subscribers for profit is unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs further argue that many of Trump's posts on Truth Social during his second term as president were never followed by official White House statements, indicating a lack of transparency and accountability. Trump Media's spokesperson dismissed the lawsuit, stating that numerous platforms already disseminate information from Trump and that left-wing activists are attempting to censor him through the courts.