Up First from NPR

Podbit · Up First from NPR

Trump's Crypto Earnings, Democratic Socialists Rising, USA Advances In World Cup

Explore episode Jul 2, 2026

Where this was said

Trump's Crypto Earnings

At 3:55 · chapter starts 1:54

NPR's Linda Kenyon walks through the staggering details of President Trump's 2025 financial disclosure, filed with the Office of Government Ethics across 927 pages. The headline figure: more than $1 billion in earnings, with crypto at the center. World Liberty Financial, co-founded by Trump and family, generated over $500 million, while meme coins — launched days before his second inauguration — brought in more than $600 million on their own. Trump-branded merchandise added millions more: watches alone cleared $4.7 million, and media settlements added more than $50 million. All of this is on top of overseas real estate ventures tied to countries currently negotiating with the US on tariffs and military aid. The White House, through spokesperson Anna Kelly and Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, denied any wrongdoing, with Trump himself insisting he has no contact with those managing his investments. But critics were vocal: Senator Adam Schiff claimed Trump made more in year one of his second term than in his entire prior life, and Congressman Jason Crow called the crypto earnings 'grift and corruption.' Linda Kenyon also noted that Trump's first flight on a Qatar-gifted Air Force One — worth more than $400 million — added yet another layer to the conflict conversation.

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