Does Trump Worry About Conflicts of Interest? 'I Found Out That Nobody Cared.'

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/01/us/politics/trump-money-conflicts-presidency.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u1A.7CzN.fjoVfSZvOSMQ&smid=url-share


American presidents have generally tried to avoid appearing to profit from the office. President Trump has chosen a different path.

President Trump returned to the White House with an epiphany about mixing business and politics during his first term in office.

“I found out that nobody cared,” Mr. Trump told The New York Times in January, revealing a remarkable indifference to potential conflicts of interest.

That was months before Mr. Trump’s latest financial disclosure revealed on Tuesday that he made about $1.4 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses during his first year back in office — even as the Trump administration has relaxed regulation of crypto companies.

By tradition, American presidents have generally tried to avoid appearing to profit from the presidency, often taking actions to separate themselves from the kinds of corporate entanglements that could create conflicts of interest.