Donald Trump’s media company has announced plans to charge for high-speed access to posts on Truth Social, including potentially the president’s own, in a move critics have condemned as “brazen corruption”. The new service, called Truth PSI, would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to see posts from top Truth Social contributors before the general public, potentially enabling them to profit from market-moving announcements.
Kathleen Clark, an expert in government conflict of interest rules at Washington University School of Law, said the scheme represented an improper exploitation of presidential power. “He’s selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president,” she said. “It’s yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself.” The Trump family company declined to comment on whether the feature was profiting from the presidency, and Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) did not respond to questions from the Associated Press, including whether Trump’s own posts would be excluded.
Trump is the most followed user on Truth Social, with 12.9 million followers, followed by his sons Donald Jr and Eric. He regularly uses the platform to announce significant decisions affecting financial markets, such as posts about the Iran war and tariffs. Last year, he made more than 100 posts in a single day as global stock markets fell sharply on concerns over a possible “Trumpcession”. His posts on Iran have been particularly impactful, with investors worried that higher oil prices could stoke inflation and force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.
The announcement comes as TMTG’s stock has plunged more than 70% since Trump took office, erasing $6bn (£4.4bn) in shareholder wealth. Trump indirectly owns about 53% of the company through shares transferred to a trust in December 2024, giving him a paper fortune of approximately $1.41bn based on the firm’s current $2.67bn market capitalisation. According to a mandatory disclosure, Trump earned $2.2bn in his first year back in office, including $1.4bn from cryptocurrency ventures and $500m from an investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates.
Clark noted that while conflict of interest laws bar government officials from owning companies that profit from their office, the president and vice-president are excluded from the provision. However, she added that all presidents since the law was passed have acted as if it applied, selling stocks or placing assets in blind trusts to avoid conflicts. The new Truth PSI service has yet to disclose its pricing, but a press release said it would allow traders to see “the highest-ranking Truth Social accounts” before other users.
