Donald Trump profits off presidency unethically or illegally, New York poll finds

Donald Trump faces public scrutiny in New York as a national survey reveals widespread doubts about his financial actions. Most adults believe he uses the White House to boost his personal wealth. Only about two in ten adults think he does nothing wrong.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted the survey. About six in ten adults believe Trump either profits illegally or acts unethically. A similar share of two in ten adults say they do not know enough.

Just over half of respondents say Trump prioritizes personal financial interests a lot since returning to office. Only about one-quarter say he places that same emphasis on the country. About one in ten adults say he focuses a lot 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 spoke about conflicts of interest to The New York Times early in his term. He stated that nobody cared about the issue. He lifted a self-imposed ban on family foreign deals and launched new cryptocurrency ventures.

The White House dismisses accusations about family business profits as a fake issue. Officials state Trump has zero conflicts and acts only for the country.

A federal financial disclosure filed in June showed over $1 billion from crypto ventures. That revenue followed looser rules on the crypto sector. One major venture secured a half-billion-dollar investment from an entity tied to the United Arab Emirates royal family.

A crypto firm founded by a Chinese billionaire facing United States legal issues also assisted the venture. The Trump Organization has secured eight foreign real estate deals during his first year back in office.

Many deals occurred in authoritarian nations seeking low tariffs or American military defense. Nationally, about four in ten adults say Trump commits illegal acts. About eight in ten Democrats say Trump has broken the law.

“He’s not putting the country first,” said Democrat Oscar Delgado of Lansing, Michigan. “I wanted a change, but I didn’t expect this change.”

Survey details voter views

Republicans and independents view the legal issues differently than Democrats. Only about three in ten independents and one in ten Republicans say Trump acts illegally. About two in ten in each group call his actions unethical but legal.

Most Republicans believe Trump does nothing wrong or say they lack sufficient facts. Audra Pelsue of Syracuse, New York, dismissed criticism of Trump as excessive anger. She noted his family likely benefited rather than Trump himself.

“Look at Hunter Biden!” Pelsue said. “It was OK for Biden kids to benefit, but it’s not OK for Trump’s?”

Pelsue cited Hunter Biden’s past role at Ukrainian firm Burisma while his father served as vice president. The survey found 56% of adults believe Trump puts a lot of emphasis on personal businesses. Another 54% see heavy focus on businesses run by his family and friends.

About half of Republicans say Trump emphasizes the nation a lot. Only one-quarter of Republicans say he focuses that much on personal business. Republican John Bartus of Twin Falls, Idaho, noted Trump donates his $400,000 presidential salary.

Bartus said Trump keeps business on the back burner. Democrat Lisa Fernandez of Edinburg, Texas, disagreed with that assessment.

“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. His whole reason for being is to enrich himself and take what he can take without consequences.”

The survey questioned 2,140 adults between Sept. 24 and Sept. 28. NORC selected respondents through its probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

Public opinion surveys sample scientific groups to measure national sentiment on federal policy. Researchers use panel rosters to ensure equal geographic and demographic representation across participating states.

The findings outline public reaction in New York and across the country to executive ethics.