President Donald Trump defended his children's business activities after his latest financial disclosure revealed more than $1.4 billion in reported cryptocurrency-related income during the first year of his second term, renewing debate over the intersection of the Trump family's private business interests and the presidency.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Trump rejected suggestions that his children have improperly benefited from his return to the White House, arguing that virtually any business decision involving a president's family could be interpreted as involving inside information because of the office's influence.
"If they buy an energy efficient truck, they have inside information," Trump said during the interview. "I tell my kids, 'stay away,'" he claimed. "But they also have a life. You know, they were doing business long before I ever thought of ... running for president."
The remarks came days after the U.S. Office of Government Ethics released Trump's 2025 annual financial disclosure, a filing spanning hundreds of pages that details income, assets and liabilities across the president's extensive business holdings. The disclosure shows cryptocurrency has become the dominant source of revenue within Trump's business empire, surpassing more traditional assets such as hotels, golf resorts and licensing agreements.
According to the filing, Trump reported approximately $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency-related income during the reporting period. The largest portion originated from World Liberty Financial, the digital asset company backed by Trump and members of his family.
The filing indicates that World Liberty Financial generated nearly $800 million in reported income, including:
- More than $520 million from token sales.
- Approximately $250 million from sales of business interests.
In addition, Trump-affiliated entities reported roughly $635 million in income connected to sales of the $TRUMP meme coin. Together, those ventures accounted for the overwhelming majority of the president's reported earnings during 2025.
The figures represent a dramatic increase from the prior year's disclosure. In the previous reporting period, World Liberty Financial contributed approximately $57 million in income, highlighting the rapid expansion of the family's cryptocurrency ventures following Trump's return to office. The growth has coincided with an administration that has embraced digital assets through regulatory initiatives and support for legislation intended to expand the U.S. cryptocurrency industry.
The financial disclosure also illustrates that Trump's traditional real estate portfolio remains a substantial source of revenue, although it no longer dominates his income. According to the filing, golf clubs, hotels and resort properties generated more than $500 million in combined revenue during 2025, with several Florida properties remaining among the strongest-performing assets in the Trump Organization.
Beyond cryptocurrency and hospitality, the report identifies additional revenue streams that contributed significantly to Trump's overall earnings. These include more than $80 million from legal settlements involving media companies and approximately $52 million in overseas licensing agreements tied to international real estate developments bearing the Trump name.
The disclosure has prompted renewed scrutiny from ethics experts and political opponents, who argue that the scale of the president's business interests raises longstanding questions about conflicts of interest. Because the administration has promoted policies supportive of digital assets while Trump and his family maintain significant cryptocurrency holdings, critics have questioned whether official policy could indirectly benefit the family's private ventures.
Trump, however, dismissed those concerns during the CNBC interview, framing the issue as an unavoidable consequence of serving as president while having an established business family. He argued that nearly every commercial decision involving his children would attract criticism because of his position, regardless of whether any actual conflict existed.
