Trump Responds to Huge Gains: Unaware

On July 3, during an interview with CNBC on Thursday local time, US President Donald Trump dodged questions about the earnings he received while in office, saying his business affairs are handled by his sons and that he was unaware of the cryptocurrency investments that netted him over $1 billion. "I’ve always been making money," he said. "I’m a businessman, and a very good one. I made money, a considerable amount." He noted that others are responsible for investing his wealth, and he does not know who they are. "I have other people manage the money. I haven’t even spoken to them—I don’t even know who they are," he said. "My son Eric handles that. I don’t discuss such things with him." Trump’s latest financial disclosure report shows he earned approximately $1.2 billion last year from various cryptocurrency holdings. He said he was not aware of these investments. "I don’t know. But it’s not illegal. I could have known," he said, adding that there is no law requiring "when you’re running a country, to recuse yourself from every decision that might be related to you. That’s simply not realistic."