WSJ has learned of Meta's plan to pay Trump $25 million for blocking his accounts

The American company Meta (its activities are recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) has agreed on a pre-trial settlement with US President Donald Trump and will pay the politician $25 million on his claim to block his accounts in social networks of the platform. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal on January 29, citing sources.

"Meta has agreed to pay about $25 million to settle a lawsuit from 2021 that Trump filed against the company and its CEO after his accounts were blocked on platforms after storming the Capitol that year," the publication said.

Of the full amount, $22 million will go to Trump's presidential library fund and the rest will go toward legal fees. The corporation will not publicly plead guilty, sources said. Trump signed the settlement agreement on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the Oval Office.

Trump's accounts on Facebook, Instagram (owned by the recognized extremist company Meta, its activities are banned in Russia) and other social networks were blocked on January 7, 2021. Two years later, on February 9, 2023, Meta restored both accounts of the politician.

Earlier, on January 20, CNN reported that the American president plans to pardon those convicted of crimes unrelated to the use of force and harming people, as well as commute the sentence of others accused of storming the Capitol. In December 2024, Trump promised that he would prioritize the process of pardoning most of those involved in the assault after his inauguration.

On January 26, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (listed as a terrorist and extremist by Russian Federation) condemned Trump's decision to pardon those convicted of storming the Capitol. According to the politician, this could lead to a review of the president's right to pardon.

On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the congressional building to prevent the approval of the results of the November 2020 presidential election, which was won by Joe Biden. The riots left five people dead, including a police officer.

Subsequently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened more than 160 criminal cases. In turn, the acting prosecutor of the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin admitted that the number of open cases could reach several hundred.