Four and a half years after YouTube banned Donald Trump's channel in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the Alphabet-owned company agreed today to pay the president $24.5 million — money that will go to build a new ballroom at the White House.
Trump sued after his channel was shut down shortly after his followers stormed the Capitol in the wake of his election defeat by Joe Biden. At the time, YouTube stated it believed content posted to Trump's channel could encourage more violence. Though YouTube reinstated Trump's account in 2023, he still pursued the litigation.
Much of the settlement — $22 million — will partially fund the creation of a new White House ballroom, which is being built at Trump's behest. The remaining $2.5 million will go to the Plaintiffs American Conservative Union, a group of individuals who also sued YouTube following the banning of Trump's channel.
Trump has had much success suing tech companies that booted him after he encouraged his supporters to "fight like hell" before they ransacked the Capitol. Following his account suspensions, Meta forked over $25 million, and X paid him around $10 million.
Similarly, Disney paid Trump $15 million for his future presidential library after he sued for defamation over an interview George Stephanopoulos conducted for ABC News. Paramount Global settled a Trump lawsuit for $16 million for a story that didn't even directly involve him — he had taken umbrage with an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump is currently suing the Wall Street Journal over stories related to his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The president also sued the New York Times for stories during the 2024 election, but a judge recently tossed that lawsuit, calling it "improper."
