YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google, has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit from President Donald Trump over the platform's suspension of his account in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump Directs Settlement To White House Ballroom Fund
According to a court filing on Monday, $22 million of the settlement will go to Trump, who has directed the funds to the Trust for the National Mall to support construction of a new White House State Ballroom, reported The Hill.
The White House has estimated the ballroom project will cost $200 million.
Trump has touted the project as a legacy initiative, saying it will be financed through a mix of his own contributions and donations from "other patriot donors."
Construction is expected to finish before the end of his term. The remaining $2.5 million from the settlement will be divided among other plaintiffs in the case.
Third Major Tech Settlement For Trump
The agreement makes YouTube the third major tech company to settle lawsuits Trump filed after leaving office in 2021.
In January, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) agreed to a $25 million settlement, with $22 million reportedly set aside for Trump's planned presidential library.
The following month, Elon Musk's social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, reached a $10 million settlement with Trump, which was expected to go directly to him.
Together, Trump has secured nearly $60 million in settlements from the three social media giants.
What Was Trump's Case Against YouTube
Trump sued YouTube and its CEO, Sundar Pichai, in 2021 after his account was suspended following the Capitol riot. The lawsuit alleged "impermissible censorship" carried out under political pressure, which Trump argued violated his First Amendment rights.
YouTube has not admitted wrongdoing as part of the settlement, according to filings, reported ABC News. The filing stated that “This Notice of Settlement and Stipulation of Dismissal shall not constitute an admission of liability or fault on the part of the Defendants or their agents, servants, or employees.”
The settlement follows a broader wave of legal battles between Trump and media outlets.
Paramount Global, now Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ: PSKY), agreed to a $16 million settlement earlier this year over a "60 Minutes" interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
Meanwhile, a federal judge earlier this month dismissed Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, calling the filing "decidedly improper."
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