03/28/2024

Trump’s Social Media Company Opens New Avenue for Conflicts of Interest

Experts say Trump Media will present new ways for foreign influence should he be re-elected

When former President Donald Trump’s social media company went public this week, supporters and investors betting on Trump’s political success helped drive the value of a loss-making firm through the roof. Trump ended the first day of public trading $4.6 billion richer on paper.

If Trump is elected president, it may not be the last time the company is used as a vehicle to benefit Trump's pocketbook, experts said.

Trump Media & Technology Group — the owner of Truth Social, the site Trump uses to rally his backers and blast his opponents — could present a new, fairly straightforward route for foreign leaders or special interests to try to influence him. Should he retain his control of the company while in office, the ethical questions that arose from Trump’s hotels and other properties in his first term as president would only multiply when applied to a publicly traded media company, they said.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The New York Times.