YouTube has agreed to a $24.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit President Donald Trump filed over the platform’s suspension of his account in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.
Under the terms, $22 million will be channelled “on Trump’s behalf” to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit that is overseeing the construction of a $200 million State Ballroom at the White House. The remaining $2.5 million will be distributed to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union and author Naomi Wolf.
YouTube, owned by Alphabet (Google’s parent company), did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the deal. The settlement also does not require YouTube to change its content moderation policies or platform features.
This marks the last of three high-profile cases Trump launched against major technology platforms after being suspended from them in 2021. He previously sued Meta (Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter). Meta settled earlier in 2025 for $25 million (with $22 million earmarked for Trump’s planned presidential library) and X reached a $10 million settlement.
Trump’s original complaint, filed in July 2021, claimed that YouTube and the other platforms had unlawfully censored conservative voices by suspending his accounts, contravening free speech norms. However, legal analysts have long pointed out that private platforms are not bound by the First Amendment, which restricts government censorship.
YouTube restored much of Trump’s access in 2023, reinstating his ability to post content after a period of suspension, though he had already been restricted from uploading new videos for some time.
Observers suggest that the settlement may reflect a strategic decision by Alphabet to limit reputational risk and legal exposure rather than proceed with a drawn-out courtroom battle.
