CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on Friday slammed President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform for offering early access to his posts for up to $100,000 a month, calling the practice “shameful.”
During an episode of “Anderson Cooper 360,” Cooper highlighted a joint lawsuit filed by The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation against the president and his White House social media team. The suit alleges that selling instant access to Trump’s posts violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of those who don’t pay for the privilege, according to the report.
Cooper noted that Trump regularly uses Truth Social to announce major policy decisions, executive orders, personnel changes, and even war declarations. The platform, Trump Media, has reportedly signed more than ten customer agreements, mostly with high-frequency trading companies, willing to pay between $60,000 and $100,000 per month for early looks at the posts. That translates to an estimated $7 million to $12 million annually from just those ten clients.
The anchor argued that this early access gives Wall Street firms a significant advantage over retail traders by delivering posts split seconds before the public sees them. “I mean, I know there’s no shame in this one, but it is shameful,” Cooper added.
The development comes as legal scrutiny intensifies over the monetization of presidential communications. Critics argue that paying for early access to official announcements effectively creates a two-tier information system, undermining transparency and fairness.
The White House and Trump Media have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit or Cooper’s comments. The case is expected to test the boundaries of how social media platforms can monetize content from public officials.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/14/cnns-cooper-shameful-trump-offering-early-access-to-social-media-posts/