Trump’s Crypto Endorsement Sparks Controversy and Staff Changes
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent Truth Social post praising certain cryptocurrencies has caused a stir. the post, which highlighted Ripple (XRP), solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA) as potential parts of a U.S.”Crypto Strategic Reserve,” was not well-received by everyone in his circle.
According to Politico, the message was drafted by a lobbyist from Ballard Partners, a firm with ties to Ripple Labs. Trump was unaware of the lobbyist’s affiliations when he posted the message. This led to a meaningful fallout.
Two sources told Politico that a Ballard employee handed Trump the draft during a donor event at Mar-a-Lago. Trump posted it without knowing the full context. Once he realized Ripple’s connection, he was reportedly furious.
Trump ordered his team to cut ties with the lobbyist. “He is not welcome in anything anymore,” one source quoted Trump as saying. The incident has strained relations between Trump and Ballard Partners.
Ballard Partners, led by Brian Ballard, a longtime Trump ally, has significant influence in washington. The firm reportedly earned $14 million in lobbying revenue in Q1 2025. However, following the incident, ballard has been frozen out of Trump’s orbit.
Ballard denied leveraging his relationship with trump for business. Still, some close to the president believe the fallout was unavoidable. “One way to get yourself in the doghouse is for the president to think you’re trading on his name,” a Trump confidant said.
While Trump later clarified that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) would also be included in any strategic reserve, the damage had been done. The White House and Ripple have not commented on the matter.
