Trump is making a killing as president — ethical norms are among the dead 

Past presidents of both parties have recognized that the Oval Office is a public trust, not a business opportunity. President Trump has shattered that norm.

Since returning to office, he and his family have raked in more than $4 billion. Much of that comes from investments in cryptocurrency, real estate, and licensing ventures that benefit directly from President Trump’s policies.

Although the federal conflict of interest statute does not cover the president, every occupant of the White House since Watergate has recognized an ethical obligation to separate public office from personal financial interests. Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush used blind trusts. Barack Obama and Joe Biden didn’t need to, because their assets consisted largely of diversified investments, pensions and book royalties. 

Trump alone retained ownership of a vast business empire whose fortunes can rise or fall based on actions he takes at the helm of our government.  

Although he transferred management of the Trump Organization to his sons, Trump knows which assets it owns and how his policies may affect them. He has simultaneously weakened federal government guardrails — inspectors general, ethics offices, whistleblower protections and public-integrity prosecutors — designed to ensure that public power is not used for private gain.  

Trump once dismissed cryptocurrencies as a “scam.” But days before his 2025 inauguration, he launched the $TRUMP memecoin, generating more than $600 million for the Trump family. Investors lost more than $700 million. The Trumps’ broader crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, earned them an estimated $1.4 billion. Investors again suffered large losses.

Never before has a sitting president had such extensive financial interests in an industry........

© The Hill