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Is Trump’s Truth Social a ‘fundraising front’? Platform reportedly charging $4.99 per week

Issue-plagued 'free speech' platform from the former president isn't really free after all claims social media ahead of launch

It's February 2022, and there is still no launch date yet for Truth Social. Donald Trump's "free speech" alternative to Twitter that has been widely talked about and marketed for months, but so far, fans of the former President are yet to access the site. Unsurprisingly, the platform has been mired in controversy since it was announced and on February 16, 2022, a new one emerged - that users will have to pay a hefty subscription. 

Internet users joked about the name when it was launched, but it didn't deter Trump and his team. They've been building up for months to launch date, with Donald Trump Jr. heavily involved in the promotion of the platform. At first, it seems like Truth Social could be the end of other alt-right platforms like Parler and Getter, but executives of those companies can rest assured that perhaps not everyone will join Truth Social.

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Truth Social may be the only platform with Donald Trump on it, but according to new claims, it's going to be quite an expensive affair. Social media is now mocking Trump and the platform for charging users to use the platform and a cost that isn't cheap.

How much will I have to pay for Truth Social?

According to new screenshots circulating on social media, users will have to cough up $4.99 per week to use the platform. One user shared a screenshot from what appears to be Truth Social's log-in page, tweeting, "LOL expedited profile verification. "You pay us, we pretend you're noteworthy"." For that cost, users will reportedly get exclusive daily news, private groups, a curated feed, and "expedited profile verification." 

This is the second attempt by Trump to raise money via the platform. Back in December 2021, MAGA fans received a text link to sign up, which redirected users to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Users had to make a "donation" to the NRSC in order to reserve a username on Truth Social. Without the donation, they could still join the waitlist, but couldn't reserve a username.

A later clarification appears to indicate that the $20 per month charge is false. Mikael Thalen of The Daily Dot briefly managed to access an internal beta of the platform, and tweeted, 'The claim that Truth Social will charge $4.99 per week is false and is actually related to another app. So as far as I can see the app will be free." However, that admission came days after the claims of Truth Social being a paid site, by which time social media had already decided to troll Trump. 

'A fool and their money are soon grifted'

"Trump's new social media "Social Truth" is $4.99 a week. The grift that keeps on grifting," one person joked. Another tweeted, "“Free speech” on Truth Social will cost $4.99 a week.
A fool and their money are soon grifted." A third said, "Currently laughing at the irony of Truth Social charging $4.99/week for free speech."

"Wait wait wait. Truth Social is charging people $4.99 *a week*??????? Literally paying $20-$25 a month to live in a silo and be lied to?" one user said. Another mocked, "What I'm getting from this Truth Social is for $4.99 a week, the better value per month is 4 Only Fans pages." One person tweeted, "I have a joke about Truth Social but it’ll cost you $4.99 a week."