Most Americans think President Donald Trump is profiting off the presidency in unethical or illegal ways and is focused more on his wealth than helping people like them, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
The survey found that about 6 in 10 US adults believe Trump is either illegally profiting or doing something unethical but not illegal. Only about 2 in 10 think he is doing nothing wrong, while a similar share say they don’t know enough to say.
At the same time, just over half of Americans say Trump has prioritized his personal financial interests “a lot” since returning to the White House. Only about one-quarter say he puts the same emphasis on the country as a whole. Few US adults, about 1 in 10, say he is focused “a lot” on people like them
What Americans Are Saying
“His wealth increases,” said 87-year-old retiree Barbara Thaxton, an independent from Summerfield, Florida, “but the people in the country are just barely getting by.”
Oscar Delgado, a 50-year-old Democrat from Lansing, Michigan, who voted for Trump in 2024, said he now accuses the president of “turning greedy.” “He’s not putting the country first,” said Delgado, who works in a Ford metal stamping factory. “I wanted a change, but I didn’t expect this change.”
Lisa Fernandez, a 57-year-old retired teacher from Texas, said the issue goes beyond legality. “He’s exploiting it for his own needs and his family and making a profit off the people who he is supposed to be serving,” she said.
The Partisan Split
Opinions differ sharply along party lines. About 8 in 10 Democrats believe Trump has done something illegal, compared with roughly 3 in 10 independents and about 1 in 10 Republicans.
Most Republicans either believe Trump has done nothing wrong or say they lack enough information to make a judgment. Audra Pelsue, a 52-year-old Republican from Syracuse, New York, said: “His family has probably benefited, but I don’t think he has.”
The poll results suggest that most US adults think growing his personal fortune has been a focus for Trump in his second term, at least to some extent. Only about one-quarter of US adults say he is prioritizing his personal business interests “only a little” or “not at all,” including less than half of Republicans.
The Business Context
Trump derided the issue of conflicts of interest at the start of his second term, telling The New York Times that “I found out that nobody cared.” Unlike in his first term, he has lifted a self-imposed ban on his family striking private-sector deals overseas and started several new crypto businesses.
In a required federal disclosure filed in June, Trump reported taking in more than $1 billion from new crypto businesses after he loosened regulation on the industry. One of his biggest crypto ventures got a half-billion-dollar investment after he was elected from a United Arab Emirates business tied to the royal family.
On the real estate side, the Trump Organization has struck eight foreign deals in the first year of his presidency, including many in authoritarian or one-party states with influence over private business.
The White House has repeatedly dismissed accusations that Trump and his family business are benefiting financially from his office as a fake problem, stating categorically that he has zero conflicts and acts only in the interest of the country.
The Bottom Line
An AP-NORC poll finds that 6 in 10 Americans believe Trump is profiting off the presidency unethically or illegally. Just over half say he prioritizes his personal financial interests over the country. The findings come as Trump’s family business expands into cryptocurrency and foreign real estate deals. The White House says there are no conflicts of interest. The poll shows sharp partisan divisions, with most Republicans saying he has done nothing wrong.
My Opinion
Six in ten Americans believe the president is profiting off his office unethically or illegally and this verdict is not based on rumor or speculation. It is based on what Trump has done in plain sight.
He lifted the ban on his family striking foreign deals. He launched crypto ventures and then loosened the regulations that governed them. He reported more than $1 billion in crypto income in a single year. His family business has signed eight foreign deals, many in authoritarian states with influence over private enterprise. His own voters are noticing. A Michigan Democrat who backed him in 2024 said he is “turning greedy.”
The White House says there are no conflicts of interest. The president of the United States should not be in a position where six in ten Americans think he is on the take. Even if he has broken no law, the appearance of corruption is corrosive. It erodes trust in government. It tells every voter that the system is rigged for the people at the top.
Trump said he “found out that nobody cared.” The poll suggests he was wrong. People do care. They are just waiting for someone to do something about it
