Within the next few weeks, a federal judge will decide whether Donald Trump can profit from selling early access to his Truth Social posts, a move that could set a precedent for personal financial gain from government information.

At a recent hearing, the Department of Justice argued that Trump can charge up to $100,000 per month for instant API access to posts that often contain news from his administration. This value is partly attributed to Trump’s role as president, making him the largest stakeholder in the parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social.

However, news groups contest this, arguing that Trump’s fees violate the First Amendment and the Presidential Records Act, as they believe these fees create a tiered system of access to information that Trump does not technically own. They also contend that the exorbitant fees undermine the Fifth Amendment by charging unreasonable sums and granting preferential access for arbitrary reasons.

In his response, Department of Justice attorney Brantley Mayers compared Trump’s posts to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “fireside chats,” suggesting that Trump’s feed acts as a public service, not a profitable venture. Judge Paul Oetken, however, questioned this comparison, referencing Roosevelt’s free chats and suggesting that the cost of modern technology can still be a barrier to access, much like radios were in the 1930s and 1940s.

The potential revenue from selling this information could be substantial, with Trump potentially earning $1.2 million annually per subscriber. This situation highlights the complex and evolving relationship between government information, social media, and personal financial gain.