Trump Struggles To Explain Why His Crypto Fortune Isn't Corrupt When Asked How It Differs From the Bidens

Donald Trump struggled to explain how his family's cryptocurrency dealings differ from those he would condemn involving the Bidens during a White House interview aired on Sunday, as 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat questioned the president about potential conflicts of interest.

The exchange came as Douthat walked through World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture that Trump and his sons launched before his second inauguration. Trump confirmed he is a co-owner. An investment vehicle backed by a senior United Arab Emirates official acquired a 49% stake, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Douthat asked the president to picture a similar arrangement involving Joe Biden. The comparison brought questions about foreign investment into sharper focus. The interview was recorded on Friday in the White House's Roosevelt Room, according to CBS.

Democrats spent the midterm campaign casting the president's growing wealth as self-dealing from the Oval Office, but allegations of corruption involving World Liberty Financial are not findings of wrongdoing. Forbes estimated in September that Trump's fortune had grown by $2.7 billion (£2.1 billion) since the 2024 election.

The Comparison Trump Could Not Make

Douthat asked whether Trump would regard such an arrangement involving the Biden family as corrupt. Trump pointed to Biden's dealings before Douthat pressed again, asking why the situations were different.

Trump said he knew nothing about the arrangement and had made his money before taking office. When Douthat asked why he did not simply divest, Trump replied, 'How do you divest from cash?' He then pointed to Barack Obama's Netflix deal. In the longer cut, he again turned to his predecessors without directly addressing the UAE investment.

A Conservative Critic in a Friendly Chair

Douthat is a former conservative New York Times columnist who joined 60 Minutes this year under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, a move critics read as pulling the programme rightward. The exchange still put Trump on the back foot. He last appeared on 60 Minutes in November 2025, after Paramount agreed to a $16 million (£12 million) settlement over a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris.

A Fortune Built Beside the Office

Financial disclosures show Trump reported more than $1.4 billion (£1.1 billion) in income from crypto ventures in 2025, Reuters reported. Trump said one son, whom he called a 'very straight, good guy,' manages the family money, most of it handed to large Wall Street firms. He brushed off worries that foreign buyers are purchasing influence, saying every president faces people trying to win favour.

Deportation Regret and Midterm Fallout

The interview was Trump's first extended television sit-down since Democrats won control of the House and the Senate in last week's midterms. Douthat reminded him that he had personally picked several losing candidates. Trump insisted they would have fared better with him on the ballot. The losses added political pressure to an already difficult interview.

He also gave ground on immigration, saying his deportation drive 'might be too tough' on people who had lived and worked in the country for years. He stood by his approach to the war in Iran. His response to the corruption comparison, though, may prove one of the interview's most enduring moments.