YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, according to a federal court filing released Monday.
The settlement makes YouTube the latest major technology company to resolve litigation with Trump, who sued several platforms in July 2021 after they suspended his accounts. At the time, companies cited concerns that he could incite further violence by repeating false claims of election fraud.
Under the agreement, $22 million will be directed to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall to support construction of a new White House State Ballroom. The remaining $2.5 million will go to other plaintiffs in the case.
Trump, now 79, argued that he was wrongfully censored when YouTube and other platforms restricted his ability to post. His suspension came after violent clashes at the Capitol left more than 140 police officers injured as rioters used flagpoles, bats, hockey sticks, Tasers, and chemical sprays against law enforcement.
The YouTube deal follows earlier settlements with other tech giants. In January, Meta agreed to pay $25 million, with most of the funds earmarked for Trump’s future presidential library. In February, Elon Musk’s platform X settled for $10 million.
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