Where this was said
250 Pardons and Trump's $2.2 Billion in Presidential Earnings
At 17:05 · chapter starts 13:40
Jon pivots to two compounding corruption stories. First, Trump is reportedly weighing a mass pardon of 250 people to mark 250 years — an idea The Atlantic reports has set off a 'frenzy of lobbying and dealmaking.' An adviser says polling supports this, prompting Dan to acidly observe that whoever commissioned that poll was almost certainly a criminal or someone making money off criminals. Dan dismantles the political logic: there is no scenario where a mass pardon of rich or connected people is popular. Then comes the bigger story: Trump's 2025 financial disclosure reveals $2.2 billion in earnings while in office, with $1.4 billion coming from World Liberty Financial, his family's crypto operation. Jon reads from the Times: the coin has collapsed to less than $0.06, an over-80% drop from its peak. Dan argues this isn't ordinary investing — Trump weaponized supporter loyalty, got them to buy a bogus coin, then sold a chunk of the company to an Emirati fund, possibly in exchange for America's most valuable technology. The Wall Street Journal editorial board, Jon notes, compared Trump's foreign dealings unfavorably to Hunter Biden's. Dan concludes the corruption is already priced into Trump's 37% approval rating, but the point is to get that stink onto Republican senators.
Trump's 2025 financial disclosure revealed he made at least $2.2 billion last year while serving as president.
Trump's 2025 financial disclosure shows at least $2.2 billion earned while in office, with $1.4 billion from his family's crypto operation. The World Liberty Financial coin has since dropped more than 80% from its peak, wiping out ordinary investors while Trump cashed out.
At least $1.4 billion of Trump's in-office earnings came from his family's cryptocurrency business, described by the hosts as a Ponzi scheme.
Trump didn't just invest well — he weaponized his supporters' trust, got them to buy a bogus crypto coin, then pulled the rug. He sold a chunk of the company to an Emirati fund, possibly in exchange for selling America's top technology, while his fans absorbed the losses.
World Liberty Financial's cryptocurrency coin fell to less than $0.06, an over 80% drop from its peak, generating massive losses for ordinary investors.
Trump's national approval rating has fallen to 37%, reflecting the political cost of corruption, affordability concerns, and policy failures.
