President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that he has used the presidency to increase his fortune, saying he pays little attention to his personal wealth.
In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump was pressed on the growth of his fortune during his second term, including a September Forbes report that put his net worth at approximately $7 billion. The report estimated that Trump’s net worth climbed by $2.7 billion since his 2024 election victory.
Asked about the Forbes assessment, Trump brushed aside concerns about the rapid growth of his wealth.
“So did everyone,” Trump said, arguing that his financial gains were not unusual.
When interviewer Ross Douthat noted that his own net worth had not increased by nearly $3 billion, Trump quipped, “Well, you should’ve had stock.”
Trump insisted that he devotes almost no attention to his personal finances and denied that his position in the White House has changed his priorities.
“I devote almost no time to my net worth. I don’t care,” he said. “I have a lot of money, and far more than I ever thought I’d have. And I guess it’s gone up. I don’t even know.”
The president also pushed back against questions about potential conflicts of interest stemming from his family’s business dealings. He said his stock holdings are invested in broad market indexes and argued that his sons, rather than himself, are responsible for managing the Trump Organization.
“I have a company. My sons run the company,” Trump said. “It’s hard to say to them, ‘Don’t do anything anymore for four years because I’m president.’”
He further argued that potential conflicts between public service and private business are not unique to his administration, saying that “every president has had this problem” when officials leave government for private sector positions.
“No matter what they do, there’s a conflict,” he said.
The questions come as Trump’s business interests are likely to face scrutiny from congressional Democrats following Republicans’ sweeping losses in last week’s midterm elections. Democrats captured both chambers of Congress, giving them subpoena power and broad investigative authority to examine the president’s business dealings and potential conflicts of interest.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) is expected to take the helm of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he has already signaled an aggressive investigative agenda. Garcia warned the Trump administration to “lawyer up,” promising to investigate what he describes as an “unprecedented amount of corruption.”
Among the areas likely to draw scrutiny are the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures, federal contracts awarded to private companies, and potential conflicts involving administration officials and their outside business interests. Garcia has also indicated that the committee will revisit the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Congressional Dems promise to investigate Trump administration
On the Senate side, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is positioned to lead the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, another influential panel with expansive investigative authority. Blumenthal is already examining SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s restrictions on Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
His new position could give him greater latitude to expand investigations into the relationship between cryptocurrency companies and the Trump administration, including whether the president or members of his family have benefited financially from federal policies or decisions.