Trump's Kids Face Unavoidable Scrutiny Over Business Ventures
President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his family's business activities while arguing that the power of the presidency has made it nearly impossible for his children to avoid allegations of conflicts of interest.Speaking in an interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen, Trump said he sympathizes with his children because nearly any business decision they make is scrutinized through the lens of his position in the White House. "I feel badly for my kids. Anything they do ... because the presidency is so powerful, so big, you have a conflict of interest. Almost anything they do, there's a conflict of interest," Trump said in part.The comments come as renewed attention focuses on the Trump family's business ventures following the release of the president's latest financial disclosure report, which detailed $1.4 billion in 2025 income from cryptocurrency-related ventures and other business interests linked to the Trump family. Newsweek has reached out to the Trump Organization via email for comment.Trump Defends Family Business ActivitiesDuring the interview, Trump rejected suggestions that he is using the presidency to benefit himself or his family financially. When Kernen asked how he responds to critics who accuse him of enriching his family through the White House, Trump said he has stepped away from managing his business empire."I don't do anything having to do with my business. My kids run it," Trump said. "I have a lot of money. I made a tremendous amount of money. I let people invest it. I don't even know who they are."Trump argued that his children face unique challenges because decisions made by the federal government can affect virtually every sector of the economy. The president said even routine business decisions, such as "buying a truck," can trigger conflict-of-interest questions because of their connection to him. The president added that he has encouraged his children to keep their distance from potential controversies, while noting they had established business careers long before he entered politics. Trump said he has told his children to "stay away," but acknowledged they also have personal and professional lives separate from his political career.Scrutiny Intensifies Over Second-Term Business TiesQuestions surrounding the Trump family's business interests have followed the president throughout both of his administrations, but critics say those concerns have intensified during his second term as the family's portfolio expands into areas including cryptocurrency, international real estate and private investments.Trump's latest financial disclosure report drew particular attention because it showed substantial income tied to crypto ventures associated with the family. The filing included hundreds of millions of dollars connected to World Liberty Financial and related businesses. Supporters of the president say that Trump has complied with applicable ethics requirements and note that federal conflict-of-interest laws do not require presidents to divest personal assets. Trump underscored that point in the CNBC interview, saying there was "nothing illegal" or improper about the family's business activities. Ethics watchdogs, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), along with Democratic lawmakers and former government ethics officials, have argued that the Trump family's expanding business ventures create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate banking committee, accused Trump of “brazen crypto corruption” this week after the financial disclosures revealed his family’s cryptocurrency ventures made more than $1 billion since his return to office.“The crypto legislation heading to the Senate floor must prevent the president, vice-president, senior administration officials, members of Congress, and their families from profiting off the crypto industry,” said Warren in a statement. “If it does not, it will only turbocharge Donald Trump’s brazen crypto corruption.” It's not the first time Warren has issued a warning over Trump's financial dealings with his family. In May 2025, Warren and Sen. Chris Van Hollen sent a letter to President Trump urging him and his family to divest from World Liberty Financial. They wrote that: "Your personal financial entanglements with foreign governments threaten to undermine U.S. national security." ...How Trump's Children Have Managed Business Ventures During His PresidencyTrump's children have long occupied a unique position at the intersection of politics and business. During Trump's first administration, daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, served as senior White House advisers, taking on portfolios that ranged from economic policy to Middle East diplomacy. Both stepped away from their formal government roles after Trump left office in 2021 and did not return to the White House when he began his second term, though Kushner has remained a prominent figure in international business and has at times been involved in discussions related to foreign policy. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have continued to lead the Trump Organization's business operations, serving as executive vice presidents.Their responsibilities include the company's traditional businesses—golf clubs, hotels, commercial and residential real estate, and international licensing deals—as well as a major expansion into new sectors including cryptocurrency, private clubs, venture capital and branded consumer products. Eric Trump has generally taken the lead on the company's real estate and development projects, frequently announcing new Trump-branded hotels and golf resorts abroad, while Donald Trump Jr. has maintained a larger public profile through political advocacy, media appearances and investments outside the family's core real estate business.The brothers have significantly expanded their business portfolio in recent years. Their highest-profile ventures include co-founding World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance platform that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the Trump family through token sales and a stablecoin business. They also launched American Bitcoin in March 2025, a cryptocurrency mining company, and have backed ventures through 1789 Capital, where Donald Jr. is a partner investing in defense, AI and technology companies. They have pursued international Trump-branded licensing agreements in countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, India and Romania, while expanding into firearms retail, drone technology and politically aligned consumer brands.According to Forbes, Donald Jr.'s net worth increased six fold since between the presidential election in November 2024 and the end of Donald Trump's first year back in office, in December 2025, jumping from $50 million to $300 million.Debate Likely to ContinueThe president's remarks are unlikely to end the broader debate over where the line should be drawn between public office and private business interests. Ethics watchdogs and political opponents have continued to raise concerns about potential conflicts involving Trump-branded businesses and family ventures, while the White House and Trump Organization have repeatedly maintained that appropriate safeguards are in place.For Trump, however, the issue is as much personal as political. His comments Thursday framed the scrutiny as an unavoidable consequence of occupying one of the most powerful offices in the world, arguing that the presidency's reach is so broad that "almost anything" his children do becomes the subject of public examination.Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas