President Donald Trump said he has no day-to-day role in his family’s crypto businesses, saying his sons oversee the ventures as he defended both his financial interests and his administration’s support for digital assets.

Speaking to CNBC Television on Thursday, Trump said he did not discuss the ventures with his son Eric Trump, who oversees the businesses, and that outside firms manage many of the investments.

“I don’t do anything having to do with my business. My kids run it. I put a lot of money. I had a lot of money, and I have a lot of money. And I’ve always made money,” Trump said “And I let people invest it.”

The remarks came after financial disclosures showed Trump earned at least $1.4 billion in 2025 from crypto-related businesses, including World Liberty Financial, a meme coin venture and Stablecoin Holdco.

Rejecting conflict-of-interest concerns, Trump said there was “nothing illegal” about the arrangement and reiterated the US must lead in crypto or risk falling behind China.

“I was here before. I was there before,” Trump said. “But the way I view crypto is a little differently. We have to be at the top, otherwise China is going to take it over. Like, for instance, AI, we’re leading substantially in AI over China and everybody else.”

He also said his children should not be criticized for continuing their business careers while he is in office.