Reuters/Ipsos Poll: 63% of Americans Say Trump's Crypto Earnings Inappropriate

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds most Americans think President Trump’s cryptocurrency gains are inappropriate — and many worry his private business interests are shaping his decisions. Key poll findings - 63% of respondents said it was inappropriate for President Trump and his family to earn money from cryptocurrency while he holds office; 32% called it appropriate. - Views split sharply along party lines: about 69% of Republicans viewed the earnings as appropriate, while 92% of Democrats said they were inappropriate. - Roughly 69% of all respondents also said they believe Trump’s business interests influence his presidential decisions — including roughly two-thirds of independents and nine in ten Democrats. About the survey - The nationwide online poll was conducted Aug. 14–17 and released Aug. 19. It included 1,166 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of about three percentage points. What’s behind the controversy - The poll comes after the release of Trump’s annual financial disclosure in June. Reuters’ analysis of that filing found the former president reported more than $1.4 billion in income connected to cryptocurrency ventures during 2025. This figure reflects reported revenue flows, not the current value of any personal crypto holdings. - The disclosure named projects including World Liberty Financial and the Official Trump memecoin. Reuters calculated that companies tied to the Trump family received nearly $800 million from World Liberty Financial activities — more than $520 million from token sales and over $250 million from sales of business interests. The filing also showed roughly $635 million in licensing revenue tied to a TRUMP token. - Blockchain analysis cited in coverage found that many token buyers recorded substantial losses, while Trump-linked entities continued to collect transaction-related revenue. These disclosed sums are revenue streams moving through various companies and agreements and should not be read as a direct calculation of Trump’s personal net profit; proceeds were distributed among family members and business partners. Official responses and legal context - The White House rejected suggestions of conflict. “There are no conflicts of interest. The President only acts in the best interests of the American public,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Reuters. Trump has also said his investments are independently managed and that he does not take part in day-to-day family business operations. - The poll measures public opinion and does not establish that any laws were broken or that government policy was changed for financial gain. Policy implications - The disclosures and the poll have intensified debate in Washington over federal crypto rules and ethics restrictions for elected officials and their families. Proposed ethics provisions have been a major sticking point in broader legislation to regulate digital assets — with some lawmakers pushing for stronger safeguards to prevent conflicts and others arguing for more general market rules. - Separately, World Liberty Financial received conditional approval on Aug. 14 to form World Liberty Trust Company as a national trust bank, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Conditional approval does not permit immediate operations; the company must still meet regulatory requirements before opening. Bottom line - With congressional scrutiny, future financial disclosures and the conditions attached to World Liberty’s proposed trust bank pending, the separation between the president’s public duties and his family’s crypto businesses remains under the spotlight — and a majority of Americans, per the Reuters/Ipsos poll, are unconvinced the current arrangements are adequate.