President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to sell Wall Street firms lightning-fast access to Truth Social posts is drawing new scrutiny from inside his own party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told CNN that Congress should examine whether Trump Media\u2019s new data service creates a conflict between the president\u2019s official duties and his sprawling business empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CNN congressional correspondent Manu Raju pressed Cornyn about the arrangement after several other prominent Republicans pleaded ignorance or brushed aside questions about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it does raise some questions about conflicts of interest,\u201d Cornyn said, before adding that Congress has an oversight role in ensuring Trump\u2019s business dealings do not interfere with his responsibilities as president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Raju asked directly whether lawmakers should investigate, Cornyn did not hesitate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes. I suspect that we will do that,\u201d he said, according to Mediaite<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cornyn\u2019s answer stood out from the responses Raju received from other Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said it was the first he had heard of the arrangement and that he did not have a legal opinion about it. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also said he could not comment because he knew nothing about the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) dismissed questions about Trump reportedly making billions of dollars since returning to office, joking that the president\u2019s gains could have come from \u201ca high-yield savings account.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cornyn, who is serving out his term after losing to a Trump-backed primary challenger, was the rare Republican willing to acknowledge that the deal could present an ethical problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The controversy centers on Truth API, a new Trump Media product scheduled to launch Aug. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The service will provide paying customers with real-time access to posts from Truth Social\u2019s highest-ranking accounts. Trump Media says the feed will deliver information within milliseconds and operate around the clock\u2014features designed to appeal to high-frequency trading firms capable of buying or selling securities almost instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMarkets already move on Truth Social posts,\u201d Trump Media interim CEO Kevin McGurn said when announcing the product, according to CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is precisely what has critics sounding the alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump routinely uses Truth Social to announce tariff decisions, military actions and other policy changes capable of sending stocks, commodities and currencies soaring or plunging. Traders receiving those posts even milliseconds faster than the public could potentially gain a lucrative advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n