Wall Street traders who have been losing money by the second because they could not read Donald Trump’s social media posts fast enough will soon be able to buy instant access – directly from the president’s own company.
From 1 August, Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns the Truth Social platform, will start selling a premium data feed called Truth API. It promises to deliver posts from “the highest-ranking” accounts to paying institutional clients in “milliseconds”, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Trump Media to sell instant access to his posts for traders, sparking conflict of interest concerns.”
The president currently has the most followers on the platform, and his posts about trade and tariffs have repeatedly caused sudden swings in global markets. Until now, banks and traders had to monitor the app manually, and a delay of even seconds could be costly.
“Markets already move on Truth Social posts,” said Kevin McGurn, the interim boss of Trump Media. He said the service will create a steady profit for the company, which is currently loss-making.
Trump Media did not say how much it would charge. But the move is likely to be controversial because of the unique overlap between Trump’s private business interests and his public role. The president remains the majority shareholder in the company, meaning he stands to profit directly from selling expedited access to his own public statements.
The BBC contacted Trump Media for comment on whether the president’s posts would be included in the paid feed. The company did not respond. The White House declined to comment.
Mark Spiegel, an investment expert from Stanphyl Capital Management, said it would be “unprecedented” if the feed included Trump’s posts. Companies that trade off the latest headlines would be “at a disadvantage” if they did not pay for quick access, he added, although he noted that “Trump’s posts constitute just a tiny fraction of what moves markets”.
Some firms have been copying Truth Social’s data for months without permission, McGurn said, warning that Trump Media will soon block these methods, forcing firms to buy the official feed.
Robert Frenchman, a partner at US law firm Dynamis, told Reuters: “It certainly does not seem fair, but yes, a tech platform can tier its distribution of information without violating federal securities laws.”
Other social media networks already sell data feeds, but the launch of Truth API highlights how Trump’s private businesses and his public role as president are increasingly intertwined.