Money Grab/Charge for access to the president
YouTube pays $22M toward the White House ballroom to settle Trump’s account-ban suit
Alphabet’s YouTube agreed on September 29, 2025 to pay $24.5 million to settle Trump’s suit over his suspension after January 6. Of that, $22 million went to the Trust for the National Mall, earmarked for construction of the White House State Ballroom, and $2.5 million to the other plaintiffs.
What happened
YouTube suspended Trump’s channel after January 6, 2021, and in July 2021 he sued YouTube and its chief executive, alongside suits against Twitter and Facebook. On September 29, 2025, with Trump back in the White House, a court filing disclosed that Alphabet’s YouTube had agreed to settle for $24.5 million. YouTube admitted no wrongdoing and agreed to no changes in its policies.
Of the $24.5 million, $22 million goes to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit, designated for construction of the ballroom Trump is adding to the White House. The money did not go to Trump directly. The White House said Trump and “other patriot donors” would pay for it. The other $2.5 million goes to the remaining plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union and the writer Naomi Wolf.
Alphabet was the last of the three platforms to settle: Meta paid $25 million in January 2025, mostly to Trump’s presidential library fund, and X about $10 million in February. People familiar with the talks said Google wanted its payment to come in below Meta’s.
Who benefited
The ballroom is Trump’s project, and the $22 million pays for part of it without coming from his own pocket or the federal budget. The co-plaintiffs shared $2.5 million. Trump’s own suit produced the payment.
Who wanted something
Alphabet, Google’s parent, faced two federal antitrust cases and other regulatory matters before the administration at the time. Its executives wanted to settle for less than Meta had paid, and the company agreed to $24.5 million.
Who lost out
No tax money was paid. Routing the payment through a nonprofit for a building Trump wanted means it does not appear as income to him, even though his own lawsuit produced it. The $22 million goes to a ballroom the White House priced at about $200 million.
Why it matters
A company facing the federal government in court paid $22 million to settle the president’s personal lawsuit by funding a building he wanted. The money is not counted as cash to Trump because it went to a nonprofit. It is logged because it settled his claim and paid for his project.
Sources CNNWall Street Journal (via To Vima)Al JazeeraU.S. Office of Government Ethics (primary)