Donald Trump says 'nothing wrong' with $1.4B crypto gains
Donald Trump says nothing illegal or wrong with earning about $1.4 billion from crypto ventures while serving as U.S. president, telling CNBC on Thursday that outside managers handle his investments and that he does not track the details. The remarks came after his 2025 financial disclosure tied roughly $1.4 billion of his more than $2 billion in income to digital assets.
Key Takeaways
- Trump told CNBC there is "nothing illegal" and "nothing wrong" with profiting from crypto while president.
- His 2025 disclosure shows about $1.4 billion in crypto-linked income from memecoin, World Liberty Financial, and a stablecoin venture.
- Advocacy groups have called the ventures a "grift" amid debate over the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act.
- Crypto industry political spending is ramping up ahead of the 2026 congressional elections.
What did Trump say about his crypto windfall?
In a Thursday interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen, Trump defended profits from his crypto investments while in office. He said other people manage his holdings and claimed he does not "even know who they are," sidestepping direct questions about perceived conflicts of interest as president.
Trump's comments followed the release of his 2025 financial disclosure by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, which showed more than $2 billion in total business and investment income. About $1.4 billion was connected to crypto projects including his memecoin and his family's World Liberty Financial platform, according to Cointelegraph.
How much did each Trump crypto venture earn?
Of the $1.4 billion tied to digital assets, Trump's filing attributed roughly $636 million to his memecoin, about $588 million to World Liberty sales, and $197 million from equity in a stablecoin venture.
The disclosure landed as Congress weighs market-structure legislation, including the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act. Many advocacy organizations have characterized Trump's crypto investments as a "grift" that could let the president influence related policy while his family profits.
Why does this matter for crypto politics in 2026?
Trump was once a Bitcoin skeptic but embraced the industry before the 2024 election, launching Official Trump (TRUMP) and expanding family ties to World Liberty and American Bitcoin. His niece Mary Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Friday that "nobody is putting the brakes on" his financial conduct.
Industry political spending is also accelerating. Digital asset firms spent a reported $170 million backing pro-crypto congressional candidates in 2024, and Public Citizen said crypto-linked donors had contributed $189 million toward the current election cycle as of June. For more on how policy and profits intersect, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage.
What happens next?
Trump's term runs through January 2029, but all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot in 2026. Political action committees appear to be repeating the 2024 playbook of heavy crypto industry spending as lawmakers debate digital-asset rules.
Trump maintains that outside managers run his portfolio and that there is nothing illegal about the crypto haul. Advocacy groups continue to frame the earnings as a grift tied to legislation the president could influence.