On Tuesday, President Donald Trump sparked controversy when he appeared to laugh off a question about whether he would continue selling products that personally benefit him during his presidency. Speaking from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Trump was asked directly, “Do you intend to continue to sell products that benefit yourself personally while you’re president?”
Trump responded with a meandering answer: “Well, I don’t know if it benefitted. I don’t know where it is. I don’t know much about it other than I launched it. I heard it was very successful. I haven’t checked it. Where is it today?”
When the reporter pressed, stating, “You made a lot of money, sir,” Trump asked, “How much?” “Several billion dollars, it seems like, in the last several days,” the reporter replied. “Several billion? That’s peanuts for these guys,” Trump said, prompting laughter from the audience and chuckling himself.
REPORTER: Do you intend to continue to sell products that benefit yourself personally while you're president? TRUMP: Well I don't know if it benefitted. I don't know where it is. I don't know much about it other than I launched it. I heard it was very successful. I haven't checked it.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 22, 2025 at 4:02 AM
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The question arose in connection to a cryptocurrency called $TRUMP, which Trump launched just days before his inauguration. The meme coin quickly garnered significant attention, with its market capitalization soaring to nearly $6 billion shortly after its release. The coin’s website claims it is a symbol of support for the president rather than an investment opportunity.
However, critics have raised concerns about whether it opens the door for foreign entities to gain influence within the Trump administration. Trump’s lighthearted response to the question did little to quell criticism, as detractors took to social media to voice their frustration.
“He is such a lying piece of s—,” wrote Emily C. Singer, staff reporter at the Daily Kos, on Bluesky. “Blatant corruption, dismissed with a chuckle,” commented Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett on X.
Writer Jason Karsh criticized both Trump and the media’s handling of the exchange: “I always love the questions that are like, ‘Mr. Trump, are you still going to commit crimes?’ and Trump is all, ‘Gee, IDK, we’ll see,’ and our political press is like, ‘Welp, our job is done here. Who wants an orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips.’”
Critics argue the $TRUMP coin raises serious ethical questions, including the potential for conflicts of interest and the risks of foreign influence, issues that Trump’s offhand remarks did little to address.