Posted on 07/03/2026 3:30:14 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Donald Trump has exposed a weak link in American democracy. It is dependent, as the Founders would put it, on its leaders having a modicum of good character. Benjamin Franklin warned that without strict character requirements, government roles would attract “the bold and the violent,” rather than the wise and peaceful.
Trump’s new financial disclosure forms, released Tuesday, provide only the latest confirmation that the President and his family has gotten richer while he has served as president, stemming from a set of actions that have been brazen, if not illegal.
This Trump family buckraking, as revealed in the new financial disclosure documents from the US Office of Government Ethics and a series of news stories, has stunned a number of observers, including on the conservative side, out of their slumber. The disclosure reads less like the paperwork of a commander in chief, more like the prospectus of a sprawling multinational conglomerate.
The most eye-popping figure comes from cryptocurrency. Trump’s ventures in the digital asset world produced more than $1 billion in income over the past year, helping fuel a breathtaking expansion of his overall fortunes. Taken together with his broader portfolio of businesses and investments, the President reported at least $2.2 billion in income, compared with a minimum of roughly $622 million generated by his enterprises during all of 2024, before returning to office. Estimates of his net worth likewise surged, rising to roughly $4.7 billion from about $2.3 billion a year earlier.
The crypto boom is only part of the story. Trump also disclosed millions flowing in from an ever-expanding array of branded consumer products. Royalty payments from Trump Watches alone totaled approximately $4.7 million. Trump-branded sneakers, fragrances and guitars also generated revenue, while Trump Restaurants – owned through one of the President’s holding companies – reported nearly $2.9 million in food and beverage sales.
Nor does the filing fully reflect the broader web of family influence surrounding the administration. Jared Kushner continues serving as one of Trump’s Middle East foreign policy advisors and negotiates with Iran while simultaneously running a private equity firm that has received billions of dollars from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.
Rest assured, there will be copious amounts of investigations by the House and Senate if Democrats take control of one or both chambers after the midterms. Rest assured, also, that Trump and his lawyers will be defiant about those as well, assuming that subpoenas, requests for depositions, document requests and hearings can all be slow-walked, maybe past the President’s time in office.
For families in the business of business, the clock never stops on getting rich. They love the history that their commercial success sculpts. Donald Trump literally cannot imagine operating any other way.
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Gay John Fund is anti-Trump....who knew!!
John Fund? Didn’t he used to be somebody big at the WSJ?
Funny how he does not mention ones like Bill and Hillary or John Kerry or Joe Biden or the Obamas or anyone else like that and their wealth and related interests.
Not completely accurate.
There will be copious amounts of arrests and imprisonments of various Republicans. It is possible that some investigations will be initiated a few years later.
A bitter old woman wrote this. That much is obvious.
“Trump also disclosed millions flowing in from an ever-expanding array of branded consumer products. Royalty payments from Trump Watches alone totaled approximately $4.7 million. Trump-branded sneakers, fragrances and guitars also generated revenue, while Trump Restaurants...reported nearly $2.9 million in food and beverage sales.”
Is the President supposed to be ashamed that he is popular?
Let's see Jeffrie's and Schumer's accountings....and AOLs...and Massie's
Trump guitars and restaurants? Cool. I haven’t heard of them. I do hope the restaurants have good security.
Don’t forget the big one, Pelosi.
Character?
Missing from the White House and returned by Donald J Trump. Not once but twice despite their steal.
Agreed. The S&P 500 index has grown 9% year-to-date (in just half a year), after gaining 16% last year. People invested in even the simplest index mutual funds have made bank.
“Brazen” lol people in glass houses…..
Those consumed by TDS and self loathing never realize how they expose their pettiness, devouring envy and maliciousness un every word they write. They destroy their reputations and any weight their opinion might have carried, erasing themselves as rational creatures in the eyes of the world. In doing so the also erase the publications and media channels that host them.
Oh no....brazen!
Sold merch and made money investing in cryptocurrency.
How brazen and shocking.
Yawn.
Now iirc years ago elected officials put their assets into something called a blind trust.
What happened to that concept?
TDS is fun to watch.
Worldwide communists jealous of successful people...
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