According to a report by the U.S. news website Axios, YouTube, the video site under Google, has agreed to pay U.S. President Trump $22 million to settle a lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by Trump after YouTube shut down his account following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
According to court documents, the $22 million settlement awarded to Trump will be placed in a trust fund for the approximately $200 million renovation of the White House State Dining Room. Additionally, YouTube will pay $2.5 million to other plaintiffs in the case.
According to U.S. media reports, Trump filed a lawsuit in July 2021 against Meta, Musk’s X, and Google for suspending his social media accounts. Legal experts at the time said that under U.S. law, Trump’s lawsuit would be difficult to win, and the court was unlikely to rule in his favor. Legal experts noted that similar lawsuits had previously been dismissed, as technology companies have the right to operate their social platforms as they see fit.
However, the situation has changed dramatically. After being re-elected U.S. President, Trump reached settlements with Meta and X for $25 million and $10 million in compensation, respectively. YouTube was the last social media platform to settle with Trump.