Trump punts criticism of business income to kids

President Donald Trump sought to dismiss criticism that he has unfairly profited from his presidency during an Oval Office interview with CNBC on Thursday, arguing that his children are responsible for running the family’s businesses.

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“I don’t do anything having to do with my business. My kids run it,” Trump told CNBC’s Joe Kernen, co-host of “Squawk Box,” when asked about the criticism.

Trump said his son Eric Trump handles managing his investments, and that he feels “badly, in a way, for my kids” because of the scrutiny they are under.

The president’s comments came days after the release of his financial disclosures, which showed that he reported more than $2 billion in income since returning to the White House. The largest share of those funds come from more than $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency-related income, including $500 million coming from World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company he co-founded in 2024 with his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr.

Democrats aren’t the only ones criticizing Trump over his finances. The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board wrote in an op-ed on Wednesday that Trump and his family “are profiting off the Presidency in ways that demean the office.” Tax experts have also suggest the amount of money the president has made in this role is historically unprecedented.