Undeniably, during his time in office, Donald Trump cut a lot of checks. He put in more than $100 million for municipal and company bonds. These investments cover a wide range of sectors—from hospitals, schools, and airports, to ports and gas projects. Together, the disclosures paint an unmistakable picture of the troubling line between Trump’s governance and Trump’s personal fortune—one that has alarmed government ethics watchdogs.
The recent financial disclosures give no indication of any asset sales during the quarter. Rather than form a traditional blind trust like past presidents, Trump has done something unprecedented. Second, he is giving control of Read More We always knew he was a terrible CEO. This decision marks a dramatic departure from the policy followed by every U.S. president since 1978. Those leaders have either set up blind trusts or promised to keep all investments in increasingly opaque diversified mutual funds.
Though founded under inconsistent guidelines, since legislation passed in 1978 it has become mandatory that U.S. presidents disclose at least a basic outline of their finances. With the possible exception of the Trump Organization, there is no requirement for Trump to divest from assets that might cause future conflicts of interest. The financial documents released thus far do not tell the story of detailed transaction values but instead give these ranges at a high level.
Trump’s investment includes municipal bonds from different U.S. states — like Texas, Florida and New York — which would all benefit from these new regulatory measures. He has significant investments in other big companies including Meta, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and T-Mobile. On the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Trump’s real-time net worth is now pegged at $6.4 billion.
Ever since Trump was elected, experts warned that the intersection of his personal fortune and his governance were dangerous. Richard Painter, a former chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, noted the potential implications of Trump’s bond holdings. He stated, “When interest rates go down, bond prices go up.” Painter further emphasized the strategic nature of Trump’s requests to the Federal Reserve, remarking, “No wonder he’s leaning on the Fed for a rate cut!”
Rich financial disclosures highlight the potential conflicts involved with the depth and complexity of Trump’s investments and how they could influence his policy decisions. More importantly, Trump is in fact doing the work of being president. At the same time, everyone is looking critically at his approach to governing a vast fortune, raising ethical and gubernatorial concerns.
