Trump Media plots to profit from presidency with exorbitant fees for early access to presidential posts
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Trump Media and Technology Group is reportedly scheming to charge up to $100,000 a month for privileged access to the president's Truth Social posts, a move slammed by ethics experts and lawmakers as a blatant abuse of power and a new low in the commodification of democracy.
Trump Media and Technology Group, the corporate owner of the Truth Social platform, is reportedly considering a subscription scheme that would demand financial traders pay up to $100,000 per month for privileged, early access to President Donald Trump's posts. A lower tier, still outrageously priced at $60,000 per month for three-year commitments, is also under discussion. According to Reuters and the Financial Times, this proposal would allow wealthy firms to buy their way into early knowledge of statements that can sway global markets, further entrenching inequality and corporate influence over public policy.
Economists have long noted that the president's social media outbursts can have far-reaching impacts on global financial conditions, from tariffs to international tensions. Critics are raising the alarm that monetizing this influence is not just unethical, but a direct attack on transparency and the public's right to information.
"He’s selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president," said Kathleen Clark, a conflict-of-interest expert at Washington University School of Law.
"It’s yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself," Clark told the Associated Press, highlighting the shamelessness of the move.
Democratic lawmakers have also condemned the plan. Senator Ron Wyden warned that the scheme would "make Wall Street traders rich" alongside the Trump family, exposing the deep collusion between political elites and financial interests. The company has announced a paid data service called “Truth API,” which would provide licensed feeds from the ten most influential accounts on the platform, with Trump's account—unsurprisingly—being the centerpiece of this pay-to-play operation.