WASHINGTON, D.C. – Meta has agreed to pay President Donald Trump $25 million to settle a lawsuit over his suspension from Facebook and Instagram following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the settlement, which is seen as a significant victory for Trump as he eyes a potential return to the White House.
According to sources familiar with the agreement, $22 million of the settlement will go toward funding Trump’s future presidential library, while the remaining amount will cover legal fees and payments to other plaintiffs involved in the case.
Despite the payout, Meta has not admitted to any wrongdoing in its decision to suspend Trump’s accounts.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the settlement but declined further comment.
Trump has long accused major social media companies of political bias, arguing that his bans on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms were unfair censorship.
He was removed from these sites in the aftermath of the Capitol attack, after making posts that were widely interpreted as sympathetic to rioters.
His suspension was initially indefinite but was later revised to a two-year ban, with Meta reinstating his accounts in early 2023.
Despite his past criticism of Big Tech, Trump has recently sought to mend relationships with Silicon Valley power players.
Both Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), attended Trump’s presidential inauguration last week in Washington, signaling a potential thaw in relations.
Zuckerberg, who reportedly dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November, has publicly advocated for loosening content restrictions across Meta’s platforms.
“We are restoring free expression on our platforms,” he said earlier this month, as the company announced a rollback of fact-checking operations.
The Meta settlement follows a similar legal resolution with ABC News, which in December agreed to pay Trump $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit.
The financial agreements come as media and tech companies brace for the possibility of a second Trump presidency.
Meanwhile, Meta continues to thrive financially.
The company reported a staggering 59% jump in net income, reaching $62.36 billion for the full year.
