© 2026 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former ethics lawyer says Trump's crypto poses 'clear conflict of interest'

President Donald Trump departs the White House on May 22, 2025, in Washington. Trump traveled to his Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, where he held a dinner for top investors in his $TRUMP cryptocurrency.
Kevin Dietsch
/
Getty Images
President Donald Trump departs the White House on May 22, 2025, in Washington. Trump traveled to his Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, where he held a dinner for top investors in his $TRUMP cryptocurrency.

Updated July 2, 2026 at 10:32 AM MDT

President Donald Trump and his family earned more than $1 billion last year through cryptocurrency ventures and other businesses, according to a 927-page financial disclosure report filed with the Office of Government Ethics.

NPR's Linda Kenyon reports that more than $500 million came from the cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, which was co-founded by Trump family members, while Trump-branded meme coin sales generated more than $600 million. The disclosure also lists more than $50 million from media settlements and millions more from Trump-branded products, including Bibles, sneakers and watches.

The White House denied any financial conflicts of interest. Spokesperson Anna Kelly praised the president for making the U.S. "the crypto capital of the world." Trump also said outside institutions manage his investments and that he does not speak with them.

Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter told Morning Edition that federal conflict-of-interest laws would prohibit other executive branch officials from taking similar actions, adding that Trump "stands alone in having such substantial financial conflicts of interest" as president.

Speaking with NPR's A Martínez, Painter discussed the ethics questions surrounding Trump's cryptocurrency earnings, how presidents have traditionally handled their financial holdings and the role blind trusts play in avoiding conflicts of interest.

Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above.

The digital version was written by Majd Al-Waheidi with contributions from Lindsay Totty.

Copyright 2026 NPR

A Martínez
A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.