DOJ defends $100K monthly API fee for Trump’s Truth Social posts
A DOJ lawyer argued that charging $100,000 a month for instant access to President Trump’s Truth Social posts is a private business decision, while a judge questioned the precedent.
During a hearing on the Truth Social API subscription, DOJ lawyer Brantley Mayers invoked former presidents’ communication methods to justify the $100,000-per-month charge for immediate access to President Donald Trump’s posts. Judge Paul Oetken, an Obama appointee, challenged the analogy, pointing out that earlier presidents did not monetize their speeches. Plaintiffs including The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation argue the fee forces media outlets to pay for faster access, undermining the First Amendment and creating unequal information access.
Yale Law School’s Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic representative David Schulz described the arrangement as “audacious” and “clearly corrupt,” noting the potential $1.2 million annual profit per subscriber. Mayers countered that the decision was a private commercial matter by Trump’s media company, not a presidential act. Oetken acknowledged the concern over a two-class system but said he lacks authority to dictate presidential communication, and he will issue a written decision later.
Why it matters
The case could set a precedent on whether elected officials can profit from exclusive, faster access to their public statements.
In this story
