Eric Trump, son of Donald Trump: My dad is the best friend, and the U.S. wants to win the ultimate race in AI, energy, and Bitcoin

Guest: Eric Trump, American businessman, political activist, son of Donald Trump

Host: Bonnie; David

Podcast source: Bonnie Blockchain

Translation: Deep Tide TechFlow

Broadcast date: May 12, 2026

Original link:

Disclaimer: This article is reprinted content. Readers can obtain more information through the original link. If the author has any objections to the reprint, please contact us, and we will modify it according to the author's requirements. Reprints are for information sharing only, do not constitute any investment advice, and do not represent Wu Shuo's views and positions.

Key Summary

In this episode, Donald Trump’s second son Eric Trump shares Trump’s cryptocurrency strategies, why he founded American Bitcoin Bitcoin mining company, how the US leads the energy and AI race, why other countries can’t catch up, and the story of the Trump family being betrayed by many banks.

He also talks about learning business and negotiation skills from his father since childhood, how “Trump: The Art of the Deal” influenced his life, and Donald Trump’s close and warm side at home.

Highlights and Insights

On why the US must win the AI, energy, and crypto races

"I want my father to win at everything we do. He believes America must win energy, AI, and cryptocurrency."

"He ran for office with the idea of being the ‘Crypto President’. He believes in cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, and digital assets."

"If the US doesn’t do it, Asia will; if the US doesn’t do it, the Middle East will. So, America must take the lead."

"America is not just energy independent; we also export energy. If Europe wants to challenge AI or cryptocurrencies, good luck to them because they lack the energy infrastructure."

On Bitcoin’s global value and the dollar’s advantage

"Bitcoin’s position in many international markets might be more important than in the US, the world’s largest economy."

"In places with severe inflation, bad banks, bad governments, unstable markets, and serious corruption, what’s better to hold than Bitcoin?"

"Everyone wants the dollar. No one wants the euro or other currencies—they want the dollar."

On American Bitcoin’s mining strategy

"American Bitcoin was founded 8 months and 3 days ago, and already has over 90,000 mining machines, over 28 EH/s of hash rate, accounting for about 2.5% to 3% of the global mining capacity."

"Our company's only premise is to expand Bitcoin holdings; our North Star is to increase the amount of Satoshi per share."

"If a company’s money could be invested in assets that have grown about 70% annually over the past decade, instead of paying high executive salaries, which would create more value for shareholders?"

"We believe in Bitcoin. Unless a catastrophic event occurs, it will be very, very difficult for us to sell Bitcoin."

On two Bitcoin company competitions

"This is a contest to see who can accumulate the most Bitcoin, and also who can acquire the most Bitcoin at the lowest cost."

"Michael Saylor is a visionary; he’s done an incredible job accumulating the most Bitcoin."

"American Bitcoin aims to win another contest: who can acquire the most Bitcoin at the lowest cost."

"And what product or commodity can be mined at about half the market price? That’s what American Bitcoin does every day."

On being abandoned by banks and entering the crypto industry

"We did nothing wrong, yet the biggest US banks kicked us out like dogs—300 accounts closed overnight, just because of politics."

"This pushed us toward digital assets, toward DeFi, and also brought us into contact with others who had been abandoned by these banks."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That’s exactly what happened between the Trump family and the crypto industry."

"If 5, 6, or 7 years ago you told me I’d be so passionate about digital assets, I would have laughed. Now, nothing excites me more."

On father, childhood, and family relationships

"I love walking construction sites with my father, watching New York’s most impressive buildings slowly rise through steel and concrete."

"He’s my best friend in the world, and I am incredibly proud of him."

"He still calls me Honey. I’m 42 years old, with white hair in my beard, and he still calls me Honey."

New Federal Reserve Chair, Energy, and Cryptocurrency

Host David: Eric, welcome to the show. Kevin Walsh is considered the next Federal Reserve Chair, a very tech-savvy person with close ties to Silicon Valley. If he officially becomes Fed Chair, we expect this to happen; he might become the most tech-savvy Fed Chair in history. He has previously said that Bitcoin and AI will become the main drivers of the US economy. What do you think this means for the future of Bitcoin and AI?

Eric Trump:

Let me put it simply. My father wants America to win at everything we do. He believes America must win energy, AI, and cryptocurrency. That’s his entire platform and authorization.

He ran for office with the idea of being the ‘Crypto President’. He believes in cryptocurrencies, in the flow of funds in a more efficient, safer, and transparent way, and he believes in this industry, in Bitcoin, and in digital assets. So, it’s very reasonable that his close circle shares these premises. If someone doesn’t agree, he wouldn’t bring that person into his core team.

Looking around the world, this is very clear. Look at the transformation digital assets are undergoing now, tokenization, what Bitcoin has already achieved, and the explosive growth of digital assets over the past decade.

Combine these factors with another: we have a government that supports crypto, and the US possibly has the best energy infrastructure in the world. Not only has the US achieved energy independence, but we also export energy. If Europe wants to challenge AI, good luck; if they want to challenge cryptocurrencies, good luck. They can’t do it because they lack the energy infrastructure to support it.

So, we will win because we are the first movers. We are also the largest economy in the world, with a clear advantage. Now, there’s a government pushing this forward, and we have the energy resources needed to accomplish it.

Since my father took office, the policy direction on cryptocurrencies has shifted 180 degrees. During Biden’s administration, almost everyone trying to improve finance with better, more efficient, modern methods was thrown into jail. Now, it’s different. We will have a Fed Chair who is very friendly to this industry, and not just friendly—he truly understands it.

Biden and Kamala Harris can’t even spell AI. They don’t know what they’re talking about, nor do they want to understand it. My father wants to win this race, to be the best in the world. By the way, if the US doesn’t do it, Asia will; if the US doesn’t do it, the Middle East will. So, we are leading, and this is exactly what America must do.

Can the world win together?

Host Bonnie: Is it possible for everyone to win together?

Eric Trump:

I think so. It’s obvious that cryptocurrencies are the global digital finance. I am the head of American Bitcoin and the founder of this company. I believe in digital assets.

I can even say that Bitcoin’s position in many international markets might be as important as in the US, or even more so, even though the US is the largest economy. Many places in the world suffer from hyperinflation, bad banks, bad governments, unstable markets, and deep corruption. In these places, what’s better to hold than Bitcoin? Because no one can seize your money overnight, institutions can’t lose your funds, and capital markets can’t crash and wipe out your resources.

Suddenly, you have global liquidity available 24/7, every day of the week. How? Just with your iPad or smartphone.

I can make a point: the global community is actually the biggest beneficiary because it creates financial independence and freedom worldwide, connecting global finance in unprecedented ways.

For example, if I want to send money to Morocco now, how do I do it? If I have to use SWIFT wire transfer, I need to find a bank in Morocco, who do I communicate with? Do we speak the same language? What’s the exchange rate? What crypto does is eliminate all that. It allows funds to be transferred instantly worldwide.

So, is it going to be global? 100%. The entire concept of cryptocurrencies and digital assets is to make them global. Who will benefit the most? The US. Because everyone wants dollars. No one wants euros or other currencies—they want dollars. So, I believe this is a global initiative, but the US will be the biggest beneficiary.

Why is Bitcoin mining coming to the US?

Host Bonnie: Let’s talk about American Bitcoin. What brought Bitcoin miners to the US? Bitcoin miners need jurisdictions with low energy costs, and possibly environments with lower capital gains taxes. How can we make mining in the US more advantageous for miners themselves?

Eric Trump:

First, the US has many tax policies that support this. For example, bonus depreciation—you can deduct capital investments, and these miners, facilities, and energy infrastructure are obviously capital-intensive. So, the US does have some advantages. Like other industries in the US, if you’re willing to invest capital in something and build infrastructure here, there are many related tax savings.

Second, we have the best energy in the world. Try doing this in the UK, and you’ll find no chance. Their energy production is far below their consumption. They can’t win the AI race, can’t win the crypto race, and can’t mine Bitcoin. The US has some of the lowest energy costs globally. Look at Texas—most of American Bitcoin’s mining is done there, where energy prices are among the best worldwide. So, we can be very competitive.

American Bitcoin went public 8 months and 3 days ago. We now own well over 7,000 Bitcoin. We built this company from scratch, and now have over 90,000 mining machines, with a hash rate over 28 EH/s, accounting for about 2.5% to 3% of global mining. This is an incredible story for a company only 8 months and 3 days old.

We can do this on US land, using US energy. The US must become the dominant country in all crypto-related matters, all digital markets, and digital finance. That’s a key goal of mine, and I am racing very fast toward it.

Trump Family “The Art of the Deal”

Host Bonnie: I really like “The Art of the Deal,” and even made a special video about it. How has it influenced your view of deals and business?

Eric Trump:

I’ve lived my entire life in “The Art of the Deal,” you could say I was born under its influence. When that book was published, I was very young. It’s like my guiding principle in many ways.

I run the Trump Organization every day. Before my father entered politics, I was working with him almost every second. He’s my best friend in the world. Those experiences and lessons are deeply ingrained—negotiation, operating very efficiently.

We do the same in American Bitcoin. We negotiate everything and operate with extreme efficiency. We probably have the industry’s lowest SG&A costs, a huge gap. We can’t find competitors with a cost structure and efficiency at our level.

American Bitcoin Strategy

Eric Trump:

We do this because we don’t pay outrageous salaries to CEOs who take their pay in cash. Ultimately, what are we trying to build? Our own Bitcoin holdings.

If you pay hundreds of millions of dollars to executives, money that could have been invested in assets that have grown about 70% annually over the past decade, which creates more value for shareholders?

It’s either executive salaries or actually collecting Bitcoin, holding Bitcoin, and letting it grow and appreciate year after year.

Host David: How do you decide how much of the mined Bitcoin to sell on the market?

Eric Trump:

We strive to hold every Bitcoin. Our entire company’s premise is to expand our Bitcoin holdings. Our North Star is to increase the amount of Satoshi per share.

Never sell Bitcoin?

Host David: Michael Saylor just said he might sell some Bitcoin to fund dividends. Under what circumstances would you turn and decide to sell some Bitcoin? If someone asks you, why would you sell some Bitcoin?

Eric Trump:

It must be a catastrophic level event. We are American Bitcoin, and we believe in Bitcoin. Whatever happens, it will be very, very difficult for us to sell Bitcoin from our treasury. Our only goal is to expand this reserve.

Look at what’s happening across the global ecosystem, what retail investors are doing, what institutional investors are doing. You see the biggest US banks accumulating Bitcoin, and you see Fortune 500 companies putting Bitcoin on their balance sheets in unprecedented ways. You see legislative developments, countries following the US to embrace crypto in new ways.

Cryptocurrencies are being adopted on a large scale, especially Bitcoin, because Bitcoin is clearly winning this race. This trend is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Since we believe it’s a perfect financial tool, why get rid of it? So, our premise is to accumulate as much as possible.

Two Competitions for Bitcoin Companies

Eric Trump:

We see two competitions. Michael is my good friend; I know you’ve interviewed him before. I’ve known Michael for 25 years, even before he founded MicroStrategy.

The first is who can accumulate the most Bitcoin. Michael is incredible at this; he’s very visionary. The second is who can acquire the most Bitcoin at the lowest cost. And I can tell you, at American Bitcoin, we want to win that race—we want to be the ones acquiring the most Bitcoin at the lowest cost.

Can you grow $0.50 worth of wheat into $1? Can you grow $0.50 worth of corn into $1? These are exaggerated examples, but obviously impossible—you can’t do it, the gap is huge. Can you mine $1 worth of gold at a cost of $0.50? What other products or commodities can be mined at about half the market price? That’s what American Bitcoin does every day. Relying on our infrastructure, low-cost structure, and energy resources, it’s an incredible business model. We are very proud of what we’ve achieved in just 8 months.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend

Host Bonnie: Why is Bitcoin important to you personally?

Eric Trump:

Digital assets are important to me because we were abandoned by banks. In US politics, things are very brutal, just like in every country’s politics. Canada, other places—same story. But we were kicked out by the biggest banks in the US, and we did nothing wrong.

We own the best hotels, the best residential buildings, the best commercial properties, and the best real estate in the world. Yet, many of the largest banks, like JPMorgan, Capital One, shut us out. We were kicked out like dogs—300 accounts closed overnight, just because of politics.

This pushed us into digital assets, into DeFi, and also brought us into contact with others who had been abandoned by these banks. The old saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That’s exactly what happened between the Trump family and the crypto industry.

Later, we met some of the smartest people we’ve ever known, embraced this industry, and started to understand it. It all clicked for us, for you, and for everyone. I might be one of the biggest supporters of crypto worldwide, coming from someone who’s spent his life building hard assets, like the place we’re in now.

If 5, 6, or 7 years ago you told me I’d be so passionate about digital assets, I would have laughed. I’d have laughed at you. But now, nothing excites me more. I love what I do at American Bitcoin, what we do at World Liberty Financial, what we do with stablecoins, and everything in the ecosystem. I am immensely proud of all this.

Unforgettable Childhood and Father Memories

Host Bonnie: What’s your favorite childhood memory related to your father?

Eric Trump:

I loved walking construction sites with him, watching New York’s most impressive buildings slowly rise. Seeing steel, concrete, and core structures take shape—that’s a very special memory.

Those New York union contractors are tough, but they’re also some of the best builders in the world. Those memories are fantastic. Also, as a kid, I’d build Lego skyscrapers in his office while he was in very important meetings. Sitting there as an observer on the wall, that was amazing.

He’s an incredible person. He’s doing a great job for this country. He’s my best friend in the world, and I am incredibly proud of him.

Does Trump say “I love you” at home?

Host Bonnie: Do you guys say “I love you” to each other?

Eric Trump:

He often says it. He still calls me Honey. He’ll say, “Honey, Honey.” I’m now a 42-year-old man, with white hair in my beard, and he still calls me Honey. He jokes about it too. He says, “My children, no matter how old they are, no matter if they have children or are married, they will always be my Honey.”

He’s a wonderful person. I am proud of everything he’s achieved. I am also proud of running our company. Of course, I am proud to be one of the leaders in the digital asset race. I hope people remember that we’ve contributed a lot to this asset class.