Bessent on Trump's crypto earnings: "I don't think there's an appearance problem"

Source: CBS News

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Bessent on Trump's crypto earnings: "I don't think there's an appearance problem"

By Faris Tanyos
July 2, 2026 / 9:56 PM EDT / CBS News

In an exclusive interview with CBS News on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he doesn't believe the recent disclosure of President Trump's billions in crypto earnings is problematic for the president. ... "I don't think there's an appearance problem," Bessent told CBS News anchor and MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady regarding Mr. Trump's earnings.

According to a financial disclosure released earlier this week, Mr. Trump has earned approximately $1.4 billion from his crypto ventures since beginning his second term. Those include his "meme coin" $TRUMP and earnings from World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company backed by the president and his family.

Congressional Democrats have criticized Mr. Trump's crypto windfall, arguing it presents a conflict of interest since his administration has sought to loosen regulations on cryptocurrency.

"This is an innovation presidency," Bessent told CBS News. "So whether it's digital access, whether it's AI, whether it's everything that is going on in the tech ecosystem that, you know, all Americans are benefiting from that." ... White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CBS News on Tuesday that "there are no conflicts of interest" in the disclosure.

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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-bessent-trump-crypto-earnings-trump-accounts-inflation/