A New Revenue Stream for Truth Social
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) is launching “Truth API,” a service designed to provide financial institutions and high-frequency traders with access to posts made on the Truth Social platform. Interim CEO Kevin McGurn says the company intends to monetize its data feed by selling exclusive, real-time access to market-moving commentary.
The product aims to formalize how financial firms interact with the platform’s content. Currently, many firms use automated “scraping” tools to monitor the site for posts that may influence stock prices or market sentiment. McGurn stated that the company views this unauthorized data collection as a violation of its terms of service and intends to “create a lot of friction” for those firms while establishing a new revenue stream for the organization.
TMTG’s pivot toward data licensing comes as the company seeks to stabilize its finances. Publicly traded under the ticker DJT, the media group has faced ongoing scrutiny regarding its business model and its reliance on the platform’s most prominent user, President Donald Trump.
Regulatory Focus on Presidential Assets
The development of the API arrives alongside heightened regulatory and public attention regarding potential conflicts of interest. According to an analysis by CNN, there have been more than 20 documented instances where President Trump promoted specific companies shortly after acquiring stock in them. Because the president’s assets are not held in a blind trust, he maintains visibility over his portfolio, a departure from the practices of previous modern presidencies.
In response to concerns regarding market integrity, the White House recently issued internal warnings to staff members. The guidance discouraged employees from participating in prediction markets, particularly regarding bets on the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran. This directive followed reports of significant, unusual betting activity on prediction platforms, where traders placed over $500 million in wagers regarding the onset of the conflict and $950 million in bets tied to oil prices.
Inside the Teleprompter Operator Probe
Federal regulators are investigating allegations involving Gabriel Perez, a longtime teleprompter operator for the president. Reports from ABC News indicate that Perez is currently in settlement discussions with regulators over claims that he used advance knowledge of presidential speeches to place profitable wagers on the prediction market Kalshi.
Perez allegedly placed bets on more than a dozen occasions, including during the State of the Union address in February and the president’s address at the World Economic Forum in January. Kalshi’s legal team stated that the company alerted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as soon as the activity was identified.
Administrative Fallout at the White House
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Perez has been placed on paid administrative leave. She stated that the president viewed the allegations as a “disgrace” and confirmed that the administration maintains “extremely strict ethical guidelines” regarding such conduct. A new operator was scheduled to manage the teleprompter for the president’s address on Thursday night.
The intersection of political speech and financial speculation has become a point of tension for the current administration. While TMTG views the Truth API as a legitimate business expansion, the broader context of market volatility and the scrutiny of presidential financial dealings remain significant. As of the latest reports, TMTG continues to position its platform as a central hub for market-relevant information, despite the legal and ethical questions surrounding how that information is used by traders and government affiliates.
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