• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 8, 2025

Not content to focus on new businesses like fragrances and cryptocurrency, President Donald Trump, through his Trump Media and Technology, wants a bigger piece of the media world -- a streaming video platform.

Called Truth+, the new video streaming platform will be available on all major third-party distributors including Apple iTunes, Google Play, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV and Roku web platforms.

The business announcement was disclosed in a June 30 Securities & Exchange Commission filing. News publications tapped into the deal on July 7.

Among the first content channels to be added to Truth+ is the conservative-focused news channel Newsmax.

In some separate news, smart TV operating systems -- LG and Samsung branded TVs -- will carry Truth+.

Since July 2, the Trump Media & Technology Group’s stock is up 8% to $18.84. Year-to-date, the company is down 45%.

Critics believe business connections like this are a massive conflict of interest for the President. Trump holds a 52% stake valued at about $2 billion.

He told NBC’s “Meet The Press”: “Well, I don’t know how I can divest. What does that mean? I’m not allowed to open it and use it?”

Accountable.US, a watchdog group, calls Newsmax “one of the most extreme media organizations in the United States,” catering to hardcore Trump supporters -- especially after the 2020 election when it would not initially acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory. Over 60 court cases failed to prove any widespread voter fraud.

Increasingly, Trump has been very hostile to mainstream media outlets. In recent weeks, the Trump administration struck settlement deals -- due to editorial disagreements and clarifications -- most recently with Paramount Global/CBS News ($16 million), and with Walt Disney/ABC News ($15 million).

At the same time, investors are focused on potential tariffs issues of which TMTG has been a “meme” stock of sorts. After an initial 4% spike in the company’s stock on Monday, the stock moved lower -- partly due to tariff trends.

In turn, some of this has had a direct effect on the media and advertising business.

TMTG’s Truth Social social-media platform continues to post less-than-spectacular advertising business results -- $3.6 million in ad revenue, coming with an operating loss of $186 million.

Market capitalization? $5.25 billion. Make sense of that if you can.