Early Access to the President Is Now for Sale
Trump further monetizes the office by having his company sell sneak peeks of his social posts.
It's easy to imagine how a hedge fund would benefit from knowing what the president is going to say about oil markets, even seconds before he says it. Add that cheat code to the long list of ways to get access to the president for a price. The conflict-of-interest norms that once made this unthinkable never became law. The same action would be illegal for nearly every other employee of the executive branch. Make sure this is on the list of things to fix.
Corruption is now a subscription service. Trump Media began selling a head start on the president's posts to financial firms. On August 1 the company launched Truth API, charging $60,000 to $100,000 a month for early delivery of market-moving posts from large Truth Social accounts, the president's included. The company says ten customers have signed up. The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation are suing.
Trump had previously given early access to everyone including himself. On April 9, 2025 Trump posted "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!", signed DJT. Four hours later he announced a 90-day pause on his tariffs, and the S&P 500 rose more than 9 percent. The disclosure he filed this year shows 327 stock purchases worth as much as $12.8 million the day before, in Apple, Nvidia, Amazon and others. That is what he spent; what the trades earned is on no page. Senators Schiff and Gallego asked the Office of Government Ethics to look into it.
There is runaway inflation at Mar-a-Lago. The price of rubbing elbows with the Trumps reaches $1 million. Club management said the increase reflected limited slots and demand. The disclosure shows club revenue at about $77.5 million, more than 50 percent above 2024 and roughly triple 2020. Before his first term the initiation fee was $100,000.
A non-refundable development fee for a golf course that does not yet exist. A Korean firm with a case before Commerce paid the president's company $2 million — recorded at line 267 of his 2025 disclosure. Base Group is a key shareholder in Korea Aluminium, which Commerce ruled in 2023 was routing Chinese aluminum foil through Korea. Base has sold Trump-branded wine in Korea for a decade. A July ruling would raise Korea Aluminium's rate from 28 percent to 105. A final one is due by November.