You gotta give Trump credit: He has figured out how to cash in on the Presidency. want a Presidential pardon? Make a large donation to the right person. Want a membership at Mar-a-Lago? They are available, for a price. Can’t afford a major contribution? Go to the Trump Store, where you can buy all sorts of Trump-branded stuff.
The level of corruption in the federal government is unprecedented. Pardons are sold; conflicts of interest are ignored. Trump’s net worth increased by more than $2.2 billion in his first years. His sons are investors in companies that land big defense contracts.
Now Trump is selling early access to posts on his social media site Truth Social. Since his posts can move the stock market up or down, this heads-up is valuable.
NEW YORK – Truth Social, the social media platform founded by U.S. President Donald Trump, has signed up news and data provider Bloomberg and two Wall Street firms for faster access to the president’s posts, which it sells for up to $100,000 a month, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
The firms are Susquehanna International Group and Jump Trading, both high-frequency trading firms focused on algorithmic and automated strategies.
The service gives subscribers a timing advantage in access to Trump’s posts on Truth Social, which has the potential to create swings in financial markets and to give Wall Street traders an edge not available to everyday investors.
The companies’ purchases of the Truth API service hasn’t been previously reported. An API is a programming interface that is used as a digital bridge that allows one system to connect to another.
Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) announced its fastest-access product in July, and pitched it to trading firms and other financial institutions. The deals likely mark the first time a business tied to a sitting president has sold access to their statements, which some critics have called unethical.
While Truth Social’s pay-for-access plan ventures into untested legal territory, Intercept Media and the Freedom of the Press Foundation sued Trump in August, seeking to block the White House from posting official government announcements exclusively on Truth Social while the paid feed exists. The suit, which is ongoing, alleges that erecting a financial barrier to government information is potentially unconstitutional and favors wealthy Wall Street firms.
Bloomberg, Jump Trading and Susquehanna declined to comment.
In a statement, Trump Media said: “Truth Social offers an industry-standard API product for which there is significant demand across industries. We take customer confidentiality seriously. This reporting is based on misleading information being peddled by anonymous sources aimed at harming our company, customers and shareholders.”
The president’s family trust owns 41% of Trump Media, and Trump is the trust’s sole beneficiary.
Shares of the company have fallen more than 50% so far this year. The market value of Trump Media has been volatile since it went public; it closed at about $8 billion in its March 2024 debut, but is now worth about $1.8 billion. The company has lost about $1.76 billion since 2024, including noncash charges.
