Trump celebrates $24.5M YouTube settlement with viral meme mocking Big Tech

Trump celebrates multimillion payout from YouTube over 2021 ban, adding to his haul from Big Tech
PUBLISHED OCT 1, 2025
Donald Trump shared a meme celebrating his victory after YouTube settled $24.5M lawsuit with him over January 6 account suspension (Getty Images)
Donald Trump shared a meme celebrating his victory after YouTube settled $24.5M lawsuit with him over January 6 account suspension (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has declared victory over Big Tech after YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle his lawsuit alleging censorship.

Trump marked the moment by posting a meme showing a YouTube executive handing him an oversized check, calling the deal a triumph for free speech.



 

Donald Trump posts viral meme after YouTube settlement

Court documents filed Monday, September 29, revealed that YouTube's parent company reached the multimillion-dollar settlement without admitting wrongdoing or agreeing to any policy changes.



 

Soon after, Trump shared a meme on his Truth Social platform that read: “YouTube SURRENDERS! Pays President Trump $24.5 MILLION for illegal ban! This MASSIVE victory proves Big Tech censorship has consequences.”

The image also urged supporters to repost with the caption: “Trump fought for free speech and WON!”

DORAL, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 07: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, attends an Oct. 7th remembrance event at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on October 07, 2024 in Doral, Florida. The event was held to commemorate October 7th, 2023, when Hamas terrorists mounted a series of attacks and raids on Israeli towns near Gaza, killing 1,145 people and taking 251 hostages. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Donald Trump attends a remembrance event at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on October 7, 2024, in Doral, Florida (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Breakdown of the $24.5 million payout

Of the total $24.5 million settlement, Trump will personally receive $22 million, which he has pledged to donate to the Trust for the National Mall and toward construction of a White House ballroom.

The remaining $2.5 million will go to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union.

While the deal ends the years-long case, Alphabet stressed that it was not an admission of liability and described the agreement as a practical step to avoid prolonged litigation.

In December 2021, YouTube moved to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit arguing that it “flip[ped] the First Amendment on its head” and sought to override the platform’s control over content.

Ultimately, like other companies sued by Trump, Alphabet opted to settle.

The case against YouTube had been closed in 2023, but Trump’s lawyers filed to reopen the case after he won the presidency. 

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: The ABC logo is viewed outside of ABC headquarters February 24, 2010 in New
Disney/ABC News ended up paying Trump $16 million over a defamation case from December 2024 (Getty Images) 

Trump’s history of lawsuits against Big Tech companies

The YouTube deal is the latest in a string of high-profile settlements that have netted Trump millions of dollars.

Meta (Facebook and Instagram) (via NPR) settled for $25 million in January 2025. Twitter/X, owned by Elon Musk, paid $10 million in February 2025.

Paramount Global agreed to a $16 million payout over a '60 Minutes' dispute. Disney/ABC News settled a defamation case for $16 million in December 2024.

Trump launched his own platform, Truth Social, after being banned from mainstream social media in 2021, using both litigation and political pressure to fight what he calls censorship.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021
 Protesters gather outside the US Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 (Getty Images) 

YouTube’s suspension of Trump and its reversal

Trump’s channel was suspended after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, when YouTube cited concerns over incitement of violence.

The ban was lifted in March 2023, with YouTube stating it wanted voters to “hear equally from major national candidates.”

Last week, Alphabet announced that YouTube would allow creators banned under retired policies, including rules against misinformation about the 2020 election and Covid-19 — to return to the platform.

The settlement itself did not mandate any new changes to content moderation.

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA - SEPTEMBER 30: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025 in Quantico, Virginia. In an unprecedented gathering, almost 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the world on short notice. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025 in Quantico, Virginia (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump has positioned his legal wins as proof that major media and tech companies can be forced to pay for what he frames as unconstitutional restrictions.

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