Majority of Americans Say Trump Has Inappropriately Profited Since Returning to Power
A majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump and his family have inappropriately profited from cryptocurrency since he returned to the White House and that his private business interests influence his presidential decisions, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The four-day poll, completed on Monday, found that 63% of respondents considered it inappropriate for Trump and his family to profit from cryptocurrency ventures, while 32% said the arrangements were appropriate.
The issue also cuts across party lines. Around three in 10 Republican respondents viewed the crypto-related profits as inappropriate, while about seven in 10 Republicans considered them appropriate.
The poll found that 69% of Americans believe Trump’s private business interests influence his decisions as president. That includes roughly two-thirds of independents and nine in 10 Democrats.
The findings come ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the final two years of Trump’s current term.
Trump defends business interests
Trump, who built his business empire and global brand before entering politics, has pursued cryptocurrency-friendly policies during his second term after courting support from the crypto industry during his presidential campaign.
His family earned more than $1.4 billion last year from cryptocurrency-related ventures, including World Liberty Financial and the Trump meme coin, according to the report.
Trump has said he has no day-to-day involvement in his family’s businesses since returning to office and that his investments are independently managed.
The White House has rejected allegations of conflicts of interest, saying Trump’s investments are handled by independent financial institutions.
“There are no conflicts of interest,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. “The President only acts in the best interests of the American public.”
Ethics experts raise concerns
Presidential ethics experts have described the combination of Trump’s political power and business interests as unprecedented.
“We have seen nothing like this before,” said Richard Painter, who served as the top ethics lawyer for Republican President George W. Bush.
Painter said even Trump’s first administration did not involve as many complex business interests as his current administration.
The poll also found that Americans are divided over whether corruption has increased under Trump compared with recent administrations. Democrats overwhelmingly believe corruption has worsened, while Republicans are more divided.
Among Republicans, 56% said corruption is at least somewhat better than under previous administrations, while the remainder said it has stayed the same or worsened.
Voters concerned ahead of midterms
Thomas Schmidt, a semi-retired crossing guard from Cudahy, Wisconsin, who voted for Trump in 2024, said he has become less supportive of the president this year.
“It’s concerning,” Schmidt said. “He should be more concerned with his presidency than with his business practices.”
He cited inflation and the US involvement in the war with Iran among his biggest concerns.
Trump campaigned in 2016 on a promise to combat corruption in Washington, using the phrase “drain the swamp.”
The latest poll suggests that questions over personal enrichment and potential conflicts of interest could become an issue for Republicans ahead of the November elections.
Americans also view corruption as widespread across government. About four in 10 Democrats said they were extremely angry about corruption, compared with roughly one in four Republicans.
When asked which major political party was more corrupt, 41% chose the Democratic Party, while 49% chose the Republican Party.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,166 US adults online from August 14 to 17. It has a margin of error of approximately 3 percentage points for all respondents and 5 percentage points for Democrats, Republicans and independents.
