Trump Media mulls paid early access to Truth Social posts, raising ethics concerns
President Donald Trump’s social media company is reportedly considering charging a monthly fee for priority access to his posts on Truth Social, a move that has drawn swift criticism from ethics experts who say it would let the president profit from his office.
According to Reuters, Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, has discussed charging financial traders and firms a steep fee for early access to Trump’s posts. A lower-tier fee of $60,000 a month was also reportedly discussed for firms that sign up for a three-year plan. The Financial Times reported similar details.
The proposal would allow paying customers to see Trump’s posts before the general public, giving them a potential advantage in markets that often move on his statements. Economists say his remarks on social media — about tariffs, international conflicts, or other policy matters — can spur changes in global financial prospects.
Critics denounced the idea as a barrier to government transparency and a way for Trump to enrich himself while in office. Kathleen Clark, an expert in conflict-of-interest rules at Washington University School of Law, told The Associated Press: “He’s selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president. It’s yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself.”
Separately, the company announced a new service called Truth PSI, which would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from top Truth Social contributors in milliseconds, so they could profit off subsequent moves in stocks, bonds and interest rates. The company said the service would give traders access to “the highest-ranking Truth Social accounts” ahead of others. The president has the most followers on the platform — 12.9 million — followed by his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and then his son Eric.
The announcement did not specify how much customers would be charged for Truth PSI. The company declined to comment on whether the feature would profit off the presidency, and did not answer emailed questions about whether Trump’s own posts would be included.
In recent months, Trump has used Truth Social to announce major decisions and share his views on topics including the Iran war, tariffs, and immigration enforcement. His posts on Iran, in particular, have drawn attention because investors worry that higher oil prices could affect global markets.
The news comes as Trump Media + Technology’s stock has plunged more than 70% since the president took office, according to reports.
Trump has frequently faced accusations of using his public office for personal financial gain, and the latest proposals have intensified those concerns. Ethics experts say that selling early access to presidential statements could undermine the functioning of US democracy by giving wealthy insiders an information advantage.
The company has not yet responded publicly to the criticism, and it remains unclear whether the paid-access plans will be implemented.