New Poll Reveals Widespread Public Concern Over Trump’s Business Dealings and Influence on Presidency
WASHINGTON – A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll has unveiled significant public apprehension regarding President Donald Trump’s business dealings, particularly his family’s ventures in the cryptocurrency sector, and their perceived influence on his policy decisions. The four-day poll, concluding Monday, indicates that a majority of Americans believe the President and his family have inappropriately profited from digital assets since his return to power.
A striking finding from the survey shows that even half of Trump’s own Republican supporters believe the President allows his business interests to sway his decisions. This comes despite Trump’s 2016 campaign promise to "drain the swamp" and combat corruption in Washington.
President Trump, who leveraged his New York real estate background to build a globally recognized brand before entering politics, has publicly championed various cryptocurrency ventures. Notably, he earned over $1.4 billion last year from his family’s cryptocurrency endeavors, including World Liberty Financial and the Trump meme coin. In March 2025, just two months into his second term, the President took to social media to promote his self-branded crypto coin, exclaiming it was the "Greatest of them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The poll data reveals that a substantial 63% of respondents considered it inappropriate for Trump and his family to have profited in this manner. Only 32% found it appropriate, with the remainder undecided. Among Republican respondents, the sentiment was split, with approximately three in ten deeming the deals inappropriate, while seven in ten considered them appropriate.
These findings emerge as Democrats frequently highlight alleged corruption within the administration, particularly in the run-up to the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years. Conversely, the Trump administration has pledged to investigate alleged corruption in Democratic-led states.
President Trump has consistently maintained that he has no day-to-day involvement in his family’s businesses since assuming office, stating his investments are independently managed. His second term has seen him pursue crypto-friendly policies, following his active courtship of cryptocurrency support during his campaign.
The White House has vehemently dismissed any accusations of impropriety. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly asserted in a statement, "There are no conflicts of interest. The President only acts in the best interests of the American public." She added that Trump’s investments are managed by independent financial institutions.
"Nothing Like This Before" in Presidential Ethics
However, experts in presidential ethics are expressing serious concerns, calling the current intersection of business and politics in the White House unprecedented. Richard Painter, who served as the top ethics lawyer for Republican President George W. Bush, remarked, "We have seen nothing like this before, even the first Trump administration did not have as many complex business interests as the second Trump administration."
A significant 69% of all Americans, including two-thirds of independents and a staggering nine out of ten Democrats, believe that Trump’s private business interests are influencing his presidential decisions.
Public opinion is divided on whether corruption is more pervasive under the current Trump administration compared to recent presidencies. Democrats largely perceive an increase in graft, while Republicans are almost evenly split, with 56% believing corruption has either improved slightly or remained steady, and the rest viewing it as worse.
Thomas Schmidt, a semi-retired crossing guard from Cudahy, Wisconsin, who voted for Trump in 2024 but has grown disillusioned this year, voiced his concerns. "It’s concerning," Schmidt stated, adding, "He should be more concerned with his presidency than with his business practices." While Schmidt’s primary worries revolve around inflation and the war with Iran, he also believes that the intertwining of business and politics is not unique to Trump. "I think every president’s done something like that," he commented.
Trump’s original campaign promise in 2016 to "drain the swamp" and combat corruption in Washington now stands in stark contrast to these poll findings.
The public’s perception of Trump’s personal enrichment could significantly impact the upcoming November midterm elections, which will determine congressional control for the latter half of his term. The poll found that Americans generally believe corruption is prevalent across all levels of government. Four in ten Democrats expressed extreme anger about graft, compared to one in four Republicans. When asked which party was more corrupt, 49% pointed to the Republican Party, while 41% indicated the Democratic Party.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted online between August 14 and August 17, surveyed 1,166 U.S. adults nationwide. The results have a margin of error of 3 percentage points for all Americans and 5 points for Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
(Reporting by Jason Lange and Bo Erickson in Washington; editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington)
