Trump Sued Over Service Selling Faster Access to Truth Social Posts
A lawsuit filed against President Donald Trump targets a new social media platform called Truth Social that would enable users to see his posts more quickly than on other platforms, including those that could influence financial markets.
Trump was sued Wednesday by the Intercept and the nonprofit, Freedom of the Press Foundation, over the service’s “extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional” nature.
The groups say the Truth Social offering is unconstitutional because it takes the public’s access to statements from the president away from them. They also say it infringes on the Fifth Amendment right to be free from government preferentialism for those who are willing to pay “unreasonable sums.”
The lawsuit seeks to stop Trump from pushing out official government content exclusively on Truth Social, which sought to be a social media platform that could be accessed only on the app or website.
The suit requests a federal court in New York to bar Trump from posting government information only on Truth Social, which attempted to create a social media community through its app or website.
Truth API Offers Faster Access to Trump Posts
The service, aptly named Truth API, costs up to $100,000 per month for quicker access to posts from Trump and other high-profile users on Truth Social.
The service has garnered attention due to the promise of the market-moving posts being available even a little bit earlier than the rest of the world. In high-frequency trading on Wall Street, even a few milliseconds could mean a few million dollars.
But critics of Trump have made it clear they are unhappy about the service, saying that it continues to raise questions about his private business endeavors versus his duties as president.
Brendan Ballou, head of the Public Integrity Project and representing the media outlets in the case, said that Trump is using the presidency to line his own pockets.
“The president here is using the power of the office to vastly enrich himself, and I think it’s unprecedented in American history,” Ballou said in an interview.
He added that Trump is “the Picasso of corruption,” arguing that the Truth Social service is an example of schemes that would not normally occur to most people.
Trump Aides Also Named in Lawsuit
Additionally, the lawsuit includes defendants Trump’s executive assistant Natalie Harp and deputy chief of staff at the White House Dan Scavino.
The suit alleges that both aides have access to Trump’s Truth Social account.
Executive Office of the President and White House Office are also the defendants.
Trump Media Defends Truth Social Service
A spokesperson for Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that owns Truth Social, said that monetizing social media platform data is common among technology companies.
The company also said that Trump’s social media posts are widely distributed on the internet by other platforms and news sources.
According to Trump Media, Truth Social is a service that was started by the president as “an uncancellable haven for free speech.”
Truth Social Service Comes Amid Financial Losses
Trump Media is a company that’s already losing a ton of money, and the controversy over the Truth API service is just an additional complication.
Trump Media announced a $238 million loss for the second quarter on Monday, and its biggest expense was taken in cryptocurrencies.
During the conference call with investors, executives said that the business would be the “disciplined choice” to concentrate on the Truth Social business.
Over 10 customers have joined the quicker-access feed, the company revealed.
Those customers, said Trump Media officials, were “primarily high-frequency trading firms” but the company refused to name them.
Trump Remains Major Trump Media Shareholder
Trump’s financial disclosures made in June indicated he made at least $2 billion in takings last year.
While Trump Media is experiencing heavy financial losses, critics say it’s another sign that Trump is cashing in on the presidency.
Trump is the biggest stockholder in Trump Media, and his son, Donald Trump Jr., is the company’s CEO.
Trump Media has had dreams of more than just social media, as it had sought to merge with a nuclear fusion firm.
The deal has been on hold since the company’s earnings call on Monday, executives said.
In addition, executives stated that the firm was dropping its aims to enter the prediction market area with the launch of Truth Predict, President Trump’s plan to engage in prediction market activity.
In fact, executives have told investors that Crypto.com’s prediction market services will be encouraged to users of the social media platform through the platform Truth Social.
💥 PRESS DEBUT DISASTER!
Katie Zacharia’s Awkward First White House Press Briefing Draws National Attention
Katie Zacharia’s first appearance behind the White House podium quickly became a major talking point after several uncomfortable moments overshadowed her debut as President Donald Trump’s new press secretary.
The October 13 briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes, with Zacharia answering questions from only three news outlets before ending the session. Her short appearance immediately attracted widespread media attention.
Zacharia had recently been selected to replace former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, stepping into a highly visible role responsible for communicating the administration’s positions to journalists and the American public.
From the opening minutes, observers noticed her reliance on prepared notes. She delivered a lengthy account of Trump’s accomplishments, frequently looking down at the script instead of maintaining eye contact with reporters.
Her delivery also attracted criticism, with commentators describing her voice as hesitant and her presentation as unusually stiff. Others questioned whether the administration had given its newest spokesperson enough preparation time.
Much of the briefing focused on praising Trump’s economic agenda, energy policies, rally attendance, and political achievements. The extended list of talking points left relatively little time for substantive exchanges with journalists.
One particularly awkward moment occurred when Zacharia discussed the challenge of balancing her demanding position with family life. She explained that spending evenings away from her four children was unacceptable to her.
She then accidentally referred to her husband as “my president” before immediately correcting herself with “my husband.” Recognizing the slip, she added a brief joke, creating the briefing’s most widely discussed moment.
The verbal mix-up spread rapidly through news coverage and social media, becoming a defining image of her first appearance. Critics treated it as evidence of nervousness, while others viewed it as an ordinary human mistake.
Her response to a question about U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine also drew attention. When asked whether Washington had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv, Zacharia replied that she would have to get back to the reporter.
The exchange was brief, but it highlighted the difficulty of responding to sensitive foreign policy questions without immediately having the necessary information. Reporters continued seeking answers as the briefing moved forward.
Another significant announcement concerned Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece. Zacharia told reporters that the administration had asked Guilfoyle to resign, unexpectedly introducing a personnel development into the short briefing.
The announcement generated additional headlines and demonstrated that, despite the awkward delivery, Zacharia’s first appearance included consequential political news. Her handling of the announcement, however, also attracted scrutiny from commentators.
Questions about her readiness soon emerged among political observers and some administration allies. The Wall Street Journal described the debut as rocky, reporting that her nervous presentation prompted questions about the decision to put her before cameras so quickly.
The brief question-and-answer session was another unusual feature. After taking questions from Breitbart News, Fox News, and the Daily Mail, Zacharia announced that reporters could ask Trump questions directly as he prepared to leave.
Her decision to end the briefing after such limited questioning became another focus of criticism. Regular White House briefings often involve extended exchanges, making the short session particularly noticeable to journalists and political commentators.
Despite the criticism, Trump publicly defended his new press secretary. Asked about her performance, the president said he thought she had done very well, offering a clear show of support following the difficult debut.
The White House also presented the briefing positively, describing Zacharia’s performance as commanding. That assessment contrasted with critical media coverage, illustrating how differently supporters and detractors interpreted the same appearance.
Zacharia’s debut has therefore become an early test of her ability to manage a demanding communications role. Future briefings will offer a clearer indication of whether she can develop greater confidence and handle sustained questioning.
For now, the accidental “my president” remark remains the most memorable moment from her first appearance. Whether the incident becomes a brief viral embarrassment or a lasting political talking point will depend on what follows.
