Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump push back against accusations that he is using his return to the White House to build his personal wealth.
Trump defended the $1.2 billion he pulled in last year from his family’s cryptocurrency ventures, framing it as a byproduct of a booming economy. His remarks were made aboard a new Air Force One aircraft gifted to the U.S. by Qatar.
”You know why I’m profiting, because the stock market’s going up, everybody’s profiting,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
The 80-year-old Republican president maintained that his personal finances are kept at arm’s length through blind trusts to prevent any conflicts of interest with government policymaking.
”I don’t get involved in my personal (finances), we have funds that run my money,” Trump said. “I’ve made a lot of money before I became president, and they invest my money, and I don’t talk to them.”
Though the financial windfalls stem from crypto projects launched during his current term, Trump argued that his financial success is rooted in his pre-political business background.
”I don’t know if I’ve had a better career in politics or business, but I had a great career in business, and you know, you saw the cash, and you report the different things,” he said.
”So we’re all profiting. I’m profiting because I have a lot of money and a lot of cash.”
According to a 927-page financial disclosure released by the US Office of Government Ethics, Trump’s personal fortune nearly tripled between 2024 and 2026, climbing from $2.3 billion to $6.5 billion. The massive spike is heavily tied to the crypto market, which has surged following deregulation policies enacted during his administration.
The filings show Trump took in nearly $550 million from World Liberty Financial (WLF)—a startup co-founded in late 2024 by his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, alongside the son of his Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Both of Trump’s sons were traveling with him on the Qatari-donated jet, a gift that has itself drawn ethical scrutiny.
Furthermore, Trump accumulated $635 million in royalties from a licensing deal with the $TRUMP cryptocurrency, which launched just ahead of his January 2025 inauguration. Additional millions were generated through branded merchandise like bibles and bumper stickers.
The White House has consistently dismissed allegations of impropriety, asserting that Trump’s leadership has successfully turned the nation into the global hub for digital assets.
”Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged — or will ever engage — in conflicts of interest,” Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to AFP.
Press officials have repeatedly pushed back against critics who question the ethics of the president’s business ties.
”This is a president who has actually lost money for being president of the United States,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in May 2025.
”I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.”