{
  "id": 9409870,
  "title": "As Trump Banned News Outlets, His Own Media Company’s Stock Shot Up",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/as-trump-banned-news-outlets-his-own-media-companys-stock-shot-up",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-23T20:42:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mother Jones",
    "slug": "mother-jones",
    "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/truth-social-white-house-press-ban-cnn-msnow-politico/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Donald Trump's media company, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), experienced a significant stock price increase recently. This rise in stock value coincided with the president's announcement of banning three mainstream media outlets—CNN, MSNOW, and Politico—from the White House. Trump frequently uses Truth Social, TMTG's core product, to communicate directly with the American public without filtration from traditional media. The company went public in March 2024, but its stock has been volatile since its initial public offering.\n\nTrump first announced the ban on MSNOW, CNN, and Politico through Truth Social, the same platform where he often asserts that he is not attacking the free press but rather targeting \"FAKE NEWS.\" Following his announcement, TMTG's stock hovered around $8.84 and remained at that price through the weekend. However, early on Monday, as the market opened, Trump continued his criticism on Truth Social, and TMTG's stock surged by 21 cents or approximately 2.3 percent. Shortly after the market bell rang, the remaining television networks in the White House press pool announced they would not provide live coverage of Trump's events until he unbanned their reporters.\n\nThe company’s stock price peaked at $9.40 by Tuesday evening, marking its highest point in weeks. It is important to note that Trump is the largest shareholder in TMTG, owning an estimated 114 million shares. A theoretical $64 million boost to his holding value resulted from the stock price increase. Despite this brief surge, the company's stock price has since settled back down slightly above $9, with a notable decrease of over 88 percent from its March 2024 high of $79.38. This recent drop is largely attributed to declining traffic on Truth Social, which has experienced significant declines since 2025. Additionally, the company suffered a loss of approximately $238 million in the second quarter of 2026, primarily due to heavy investments in Bitcoin and unsuccessful attempts to diversify from its primary ad revenue source.\n\nWhile the company announced plans to sell API access for high-speed traders, the service has yet to attract significant clientele. At least 10 customers have signed up, generating some revenue but still far from the earnings of social media giants like Meta and Elon Musk's X. Furthermore, San Francisco filed a lawsuit to block the API scheme, citing violations of insider trading statutes and First and Fifth Amendment rights. The city is joined by another federal lawsuit claiming the service violates constitutional principles.\n\nIn response to the boycott by major television outlets, the White House announced the launch of its own streaming service, TrumpTV, on YouTube. However, the service will not be hosted on TMTG’s Truth+ platform but will appear on YouTube.",
  "summary": "Something strange occurred recently: The stock price of Donald Trump’s beleaguered media company shot up. What happened? While the cause isn’t entirely clear, the price spike does seem to correspond to the president’s announcement that he was banning three mainstream media outlets—CNN, MSNOW, and Politico—from the White House. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why a […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) stock surged 2.3% after banning CNN, MSNOW, and Politico.",
    "Trump's largest shareholder owns an estimated 114 million shares in TMTG.",
    "TMTG's stock has since settled back above $9, down over 88% from its March 2024 high."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}