‘Lock Him Up!’: Trump Defends Family, But One Strange Slip Has Critics Convinced He ‘Told On Himself’
The presidency comes with unprecedented access to information that few people on earth ever see.
That’s why presidents, their relatives and their closest advisers have long faced intense scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest.
Now President Donald Trump is drawing attention for suggesting he actually feels sorry for his children because being related to him leaves them unfairly dissected for having too much insider knowledge.
Trump’s comments, made while defending his family’s financial dealings during a CNBC interview, have sparked a flood of backlash online.
While the president framed his children’s situation as an unavoidable consequence of serving in the White House, critics argued that his explanation amounted to an acknowledgment that his family had access to information that influenced investment decisions, especially during his second term. Others went further, accusing Trump of treating the presidency as a vehicle for enriching himself and those closest to him.
Speaking with CNBC’s Joe Kernen in a July 2 Oval Office sit-down on “Squawkbox,” Trump was asked about his family’s investments as new financial disclosures highlighted the enormous growth of his personal wealth since returning to office.
Trump argued that the extraordinary reach of the presidency means nearly any purchase or investment by his children can invite questions about whether they possess knowledge unavailable to other investors.
“I feel badly in a way for my kids because every time my kids do, if they invest in a stock or if they go and do a bill, anything they do, because the presidency is so powerful, so big, everything, if they buy a cupcake company, well, the energy to make the cupcakes is sort of like, how’s my energy policy?” Trump bemoaned.
“So, therefore, you have a kind of like, almost anything they do, if they want to buy a truck, if they want to buy, you know, if they buy an energy efficient truck, they have inside information. So, uhhh, it’s pretty tough in that sense. I tell my kids, stay away from as much as you can stay away from, but they also have a life, you know,” he continued.
Trump’s remarks came as his latest financial disclosure revealed $2.2 billion in income in 2025, exceeding the combined total he reported during all four years of his first presidential term. It also represented a dramatic jump from the $622 million he reported in 2024 before returning to the White House.
The disclosure showed that digital assets, rather than traditional stock investments, accounted for the largest share of that increase. The filing attributed approximately $1.4 billion in income to cryptocurrency-related holdings and listed more than 21,000 individual trades.
Asked by CNBC how those investments are managed, Trump distanced himself from the day-to-day decisions.
“My son Eric handles it,” he said. “I don’t talk to him about things such as this. I think I’d be allowed to, I’m not sure even what the status is, but I don’t.”
Critics argued that Trump’s comments about his family’s access to insider information intensified concerns that the line between public power and private wealth is eroding.
Some interpreted the remarks as an admission that the family operates under advantages unavailable to ordinary investors, while others argued that Trump’s attempt to portray his children as victims only reinforced concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
One commenter questioned whether lawmakers were even paying attention, writing, “And…. Congress are you listening?”
Others accused Trump of acknowledging ethical concerns surrounding his family’s business activities.
“Yea, cuz they’re crooks just like you…nice parenting pops!” one person wrote.
Another commenter argued that the president’s remarks fit a long-established pattern.
“Surprise surprise surprise! Anyone who was paying attention in the 1980’s already knew this.”
Some responses went beyond criticizing the interview itself and accused Trump of disregarding legal and ethical boundaries.
“Most people understand that Trump is a lifelong criminal, it is pretty obvious. His only moral threshold is whether he can get away with it or not. He is indifferent to the law or ethics. That is a key part of the reason he got reelected, MAGA wanted someone willing to do anything to advance the cause of ‘Christian’ white supremacy.”
Another reaction distilled the criticism into a familiar political slogan.
“Lock him up.”