Brief
Judge weighs Trump’s $100K API fee for Truth Social posts
The hearing focused on whether the proposed fees violate constitutional and records‑keeping laws.
By Felo News Desk · Published
At a hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken considered a DOJ argument that former President Donald Trump could charge up to $100,000 a month for instant API access to his Truth Social posts, which often break news from his administration. DOJ civil attorney Brantley Mayers said the fees do not conflict with law, likening Trump’s posts to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “fireside chats.” News groups suing argue the fees breach the First Amendment and the Presidential Records Act by creating paid tiers for government information, and also violate the Fifth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable charges. Mayers suggested the fees could generate $1.2 million per subscriber annually. Before Mayers could continue, Judge Oetken interrupted, asking, “Well, President Roosevelt didn’t charge money for his fireside chats, did he?”
Key facts
- Judge Paul Oetken held a hearing on whether Trump can charge $100,000 monthly for API access to Truth Social posts. (arstechnica.com)
- DOJ attorney Brantley Mayers argued the fees do not conflict with law and compared the posts to FDR’s fireside chats. (arstechnica.com)
- News groups claim the fees violate the First Amendment, Presidential Records Act, and Fifth Amendment. (arstechnica.com)
- Mayers estimated the fees could yield $1.2 million per subscriber each year. (arstechnica.com)
Sources
- [1] arstechnica.com — originally reported as “Judge weighs if Trump can charge $100K for early access to Truth Social posts”
