YouTube Settles Trump Suspension Lawsuit Paying $24.5 Million

YouTube has agreed to pay President Donald Trump $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit over his account suspension following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, marking the third major social media settlement by Trump after similar agreements with Meta and X (formerly Twitter). Of the settlement, $22 million will go to the Trust for the National Mall to support the construction of a White House ballroom, with the remaining $2.5 million allocated to other plaintiffs including the American Conservative Union and Naomi Wolf. YouTube, owned by Alphabet, did not admit liability but reached the settlement amid ongoing debates about social media companies' content moderation policies and alleged censorship of conservative voices. This resolution follows a trend of tech firms settling lawsuits filed by Trump, who argued these suspensions violated his First Amendment rights. The settlements reflect the broader controversy over political speech restrictions on major platforms after the Capitol insurrection and the evolving relationship between Trump and influential tech leaders. Trump’s YouTube account has since been restored, and the settlement closes his legal battles with the three major tech companies regarding account suspensions after Jan. 6, 2021.