Dem Senators Demand Answers From Google on Timing of YouTube’s Trump Lawsuit Settlement

Five Senate Democrats on Wednesday wrote to Sundar Pichai and Neal Mohan, CEOs respectively of Google and YouTube, demanding to know whether “the decision may relate to regulatory issues pending” before the Trump administration.

The letter, signed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (MA), Ron Wyden (OR), Bernie Sanders (VM) Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Jeff Merkley (OR), questioned the timing of YouTube’s settlement of a “dubious lawsuit” brought by Trump as a private citizen alleging “unlawful censorship,” and a favorable court ruling in an antitrust lawsuit against Google brought by the the Justice Department.

“On September 4, 2025, just two days after Google’s favorable antitrust ruling, President Trump hosted executives from Google and other tech companies at a White House dinner,” the letter noted. “At the dinner, President Trump referenced Google’s online search monopoly case, saying to Mr. Pichai, ‘Google had a very good day yesterday.’ Do you want to talk about that big day you had yesterday?”

Three weeks later, on September 29, the letter added, “YouTube agreed to settle President Trump’s censorship case for $24.5 million — despite the fact that legal experts viewed the lawsuit as ‘likely doomed from the start,’ and YouTube as well-positioned to prevail in court.”

Of the $24.5 million, $22 million will go to Trump personally while the rest will be used “to support construction of the Trump-instigated White House Ballroom.

Read more: Google Reaches Settlement in YouTube Children’s Privacy Case

In response to the senators’ initial inquiry in August, following reports that settlement talks were underway between YouTube and Trump, Google said “there has been no discussion tying any potential settlement of the case to any official action or to any pending or potential future matters involving Alphabet or any of its affiliates, and there will be no such discussions.”

Nonetheless, this week’s letter reiterates the lawmakers demand for “information regarding the timing, nature of, and participants in these discussions, including whether DOJ’s pending action or any other pending action from the Trump Administration regarding Google or YouTube was discussed.”

In addition, the letter asks for specific information on “any discussions between Mr. Pichai and President Trump at the President’s September 4 White House dinner” that may have touched on either the antitrust lawsuit against Google and/or the YouTube lawsuit.

It further seeks information on whether Google or YouTube engaged with the administration “in any way to secure favorable treatment in any pending legal or enforcement matters or potential future matters,” and whether Google was offered “any regulatory favors in exchange for your decision” to settle the YouTube lawsuit.

The senators also ask for a copy of the settlement agreement and the identity of any mediator that may have been involved in the discussions and their potential ties with either party.

In a press release accompanying the letter’s publication, Sen. Warren noted, “In addition to Big Tech companies, media companies have also agreed to deals to settle lawsuits brought by President Trump, including ABC News’ $15 million deal and Paramount’s agreement to pay $16 million to his future Presidential Library, after which the Trump administration approved Paramount and Skydance’s multi-billion-dollar merger.”