YouTube Settles Trump Lawsuit With $24.5 Million Payout

YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Of this settlement, $22 million will be directed by Trump to the Trust for the National Mall to support the construction of a new White House State Ballroom, a legacy project estimated to cost $200 million and expected to be completed before the end of his term. The remaining $2.5 million will be distributed among other plaintiffs involved in the case, including author Naomi Wolf and the American Conservative Union. YouTube did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which is consistent with other tech companies such as Meta Platforms and X (formerly Twitter), which have also settled lawsuits with Trump over account suspensions. These settlements collectively amount to nearly $60 million paid to Trump by major social media companies. Trump has framed these legal actions as responses to what he describes as impermissible censorship and political pressure violating his First Amendment rights.