The publication The Intercept and the nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation have filed a federal lawsuit against United States President Donald Trump, seeking to block his social media service from selling advance access to his posts. Court filings on Wednesday argue that the subscription-based service would unduly restrict access to matters of public interest and constitute an unfair profit.

The lawsuit centers on Truth API, a product of the Trump Media and Technology Group, which was announced in July and launched on August 1. The service charges subscribers between $60,000 and $100,000 per month for real-time access to posts from Trump and other prominent accounts on Truth Social.

Plaintiffs assert that "this scheme is profoundly corrupt" and that "the president stands to gain financially by giving ‘market-moving’ government information to those who are willing and able to pay his personal company." The complaint cites the right to a free press under the US Constitution and argues the plan violates the First Amendment's implicit guarantees of "equal access to the President’s public announcements."

Furthermore, the lawsuit claims the subscription service would contravene the Fifth Amendment's protections, which restrict the government from charging arbitrary sums to access government information. The complaint names Trump in an official capacity, along with White House aide Natalie Harp and Deputy Chief of Staff Daniel Scavino.

Critics have pointed out that Trump uses his Truth Social account to announce policy changes that can significantly impact the economy. For example, his comments regarding the US-Israel war on Iran have reportedly sent ripples through global oil markets, underscoring the potential financial implications of privileged access to his announcements.

As of an August 10 earnings call, more than 10 customers had already subscribed to the service, according to the complaint. Trump holds the largest stake in the Trump Media and Technology Group, a holding valued at roughly $1 billion, a decrease from approximately $4 billion when it was placed in a trust in early 2025.

"Trump is trying to enrich himself by privatizing government information that he has no right to sell," stated The Intercept editor-in-chief Ben Muessig. "We won’t let it stand." Trump Media has responded by stating that presidential communications already flow through established channels.

This legal challenge raises significant questions about the intersection of presidential communication, public access to information, and potential financial self-enrichment by public officials. The outcome of the lawsuit could set a precedent for how presidential announcements are disseminated and monetized in the future.