Bessent brushes off critics of Trump’s crypto haul

Administration Bessent brushes off critics of Trump’s crypto haul Comments: by Sophie Brams - 07/03/26 4:03 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sophie Brams - 07/03/26 4:03 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is brushing off criticism against President Trump for raking in over $1 billion in cryptocurrency profits while in the White House.

“I don’t think there’s an appearance problem,” Bessent told CBS News anchor Kelly O’Grady in an exclusive interview on Thursday, after being asked about the optics.

“This is an innovation presidency, so whether it’s digital assets, whether it’s AI, whether it’s everything that is going on in the tech ecosystem…all Americans are benefiting from that,” the secretary added.

Personal financial disclosures released on Tuesday showed that Trump earned more than $526.8 million from World Liberty Financial last year, the cryptocurrency venture he launched with his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in the fall of 2024.

The documents also cited more than $635 million in royalties from a licensing agreement between CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of the Trump Organization, and “celebrations coins.”

The president has been widely scrutinized for what critics see as attempts to use his political office for personal financial gain, from refusing to divest from his real estate empire to launching a meme coin ahead of his second inauguration.

The disclosure has raised fresh questions about potential conflicts of interest, which the White House has cast aside.

Trump denied having any knowledge of the massive cryptocurrency investments during a Thursday interview with CNBC, while also insisting it would not be an issue if he did.

“By the way, I could know about it. I didn’t. I mean, there’s nothing illegal, there’s nothing wrong with it. I could know,” he said.

The 927-page report from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics detailed earnings totaling more than $2 billion for Trump last year, including $220 million in financial transactions from holdings in dozens of large U.S. corporations.