President Donald Trump defends business dealings, his children in exclusive interview with CNBC
President Donald Trump defended his family’s business dealings in an interview Thursday with CNBC’s Joe Kernen in the Oval Office at the White House.
Trump said the presidency is so powerful that almost anything his children do could be considered a conflict.
“If they buy an energy efficient truck, they have inside information,” Trump said, while arguing that his children face unusually broad scrutiny because presidential policy touches nearly every part of the economy.
“I tell my kids, ‘stay away,’” Trump said. “But they also have a life. You know, they were doing business long before I ever thought of … running for president.”
The comments came after Trump’s 2025 annual financial disclosure report released Tuesday revealed that he made hundreds of millions of dollars in 2025, his first year back in the White House, from cryptocurrency-related ventures linked to his family.
The disclosure showed more than $580 million in crypto-related income, including about $515 million from Trump-linked World Liberty Financial token sales and $65 million from sales of equity in WLF’s holding company.
Trump said there was “nothing illegal” or “wrong” with the crypto venture and pointed to federal conflict-of-interest laws, saying the president and vice president are not required to recuse themselves from decisions that could affect their financial interests.
Trump spoke about a wide of topics, also touching on the Supreme Court, economy, markets, Iran, the Federal Reserve and the 2026 midterm elections.