Donald Trump prioritizes wealth over Americans, New York poll finds
Donald Trump is profiting from the presidency unethically or illegally, a New York based poll shows. Most participants believe he focuses on personal wealth instead of citizens.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted the survey. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults believe Trump is acting unethically or breaking the law. Only about 2 in 10 adults believe the president is doing nothing wrong. A similar share of people say they do not know enough to say.
Just over half of adults say Trump prioritizes personal finances a lot. About one-quarter say he emphasizes the country as a whole. Only about 1 in 10 people say he focuses on people like them.
“His wealth increases,” said Barbara Thaxton, an independent voter from Summerfield, Florida, “but the people in the country are just barely getting by.”
Trump addressed conflicts of interest at the start of his term. He told The New York Times that he found out nobody cared. Trump lifted a self-imposed ban on family foreign business deals. He also launched several new crypto firms.
Federal filings show major crypto earnings
The White House said Trump has zero conflicts. Officials stated he acts only in the interest of the country. They dismissed complaints about his family businesses as a fake problem.
Trump filed a required federal disclosure of financial holdings in June. That filing reported more than $1 billion from new crypto businesses. Trump previously loosened regulations on the crypto industry. One venture secured a half-billion-dollar investment from a United Arab Emirates firm tied to royalty.
A crypto company founded by a Chinese billionaire facing American legal trouble also helped. The Trump Organization has struck eight foreign real estate deals during his term. Many deals occurred in authoritarian or one-party nations.
About 4 in 10 adults think Trump is doing something illegal. Roughly 8 in 10 Democrats share that view. Factory worker Oscar Delgado of Lansing, Michigan, voted for Trump in 2024. Delgado now accuses Trump of turning greedy.
“He’s not putting the country first,” Delgado said. “I wanted a change, but I didn’t expect this change.”
Voters split sharply along party lines
About 1 in 10 Republicans and 3 in 10 independents think Trump broke laws. Roughly 2 in 10 from each group view his actions as unethical but legal. Most Republicans think he does nothing wrong or reserve judgment.
“His family has probably benefited, but I don’t think he has,” said Audra Pelsue, a factory manager from Syracuse, New York. She called complaints Trump derangement syndrome.
Pelsue pointed to President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden. She questioned past outrage over his work at Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
“It was OK for Biden kids to benefit, but it’s not OK for Trump’s?”
The poll shows 56% of adults believe Trump puts a lot of emphasis on personal businesses. Another 54% say the same about businesses owned by his family and friends. About half of Republicans believe Trump focuses a lot on the nation.
Idaho voter John Bartus noted Trump donates his $400,000 annual presidential salary. Bartus said business remains on the back burner. Retired teacher Lisa Fernandez of Edinburg, Texas, disagreed.
Public opinion surveys sample groups of citizens to measure views across the country. Research centers use mathematical models to reflect total populations within an estimated error margin.
The poll surveyed 2,140 adults between Sept. 24 and Sept. 28 using the AmeriSpeak Panel. The survey carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
