Apple News Today – "How much money is Trump making off the presidency?"

Episode Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Shumita Basu

Episode Overview

This episode of Apple News Today investigates the wealth amassed by Donald Trump and his family as a direct result of his time in the presidency, spotlighting new findings by New Yorker staff writer David Kirkpatrick. Additional segments cover homelessness solutions in Dallas, the controversy over California’s delayed fire zone rules, public health updates, and a new format for the US Open’s mixed doubles tennis competition.

Main Story: Trump’s Presidential Profits

Key Discussion Points

• Trump's Wealth Post-Presidency

  • Trump entered office in 2017 billed as a billionaire; since then, his personal fortune has dramatically increased.
  • David Kirkpatrick spent months analyzing deals and revenue streams to determine how much the Trump family has earned thanks to the presidency.

• Methodology for Calculating Gains

  • Kirkpatrick focused on liquid assets—immediately accessible cash rather than investments or holdings whose values fluctuate greatly.
  • He categorized all major new income opportunities by asking whether each was dependent on, or leveraged by, the presidency.

Notable Quote

“The tally comes out to $3.4 billion, which I think by any measure is a lot of money. So I think that what I've come up with is really probably a baseline, is probably a minimum and not at all a maximum.”
—David Kirkpatrick [01:41]

• Cryptocurrency Ventures
  • The majority of Trump-related earnings stem from various cryptocurrency ventures, totaling at least $2.37 billion.
  • New deals are still being made rapidly, including a recent $1.5 billion deal with unclear personal take-home for the Trumps.

“On the day the piece was published, they did another deal through one of their crypto companies with a headline value of $1.5 billion...it just gives you a sense of how fast this meter is ticking upward.”
—David Kirkpatrick [02:24]

• Mar-a-Lago Membership Fees

  • Membership rates at Mar-a-Lago increased tenfold since 2016 to $1 million, earning an extra $125 million across Trump’s presidencies.

• Supplemental Earnings

  • Additional profit streams include legal fees, merchandise sales (over $127 million), and lucrative property deals abroad, notably five major deals in the Persian Gulf post-2022.

“...No dowdy company does five different deals with the Trumps across the Persian Gulf, big deals and deals unlike any that the Trump family had done before. There's no way to understand that absent the presidency.”
—David Kirkpatrick [03:10]

• Legal and Ethical Context
  • No laws prevent a president from owning or operating businesses during office.
  • Kirkpatrick found no clear evidence of Trump “selling official actions for private payments,” though timing of some deals raised suspicions.
  • Ultimately, the legitimacy and ethics fall to public and voter judgment.

Key Segment Timestamps

• [00:05-01:41] Introduction and Kirkpatrick’s $3.4 billion estimate
• [02:08-03:37] Cryptocurrency, Mar-a-Lago, legal fees, property deals
• [03:37-04:57] Legal context, voter responsibility

Tackling Homelessness: The Dallas Success Story

Key Discussion Points

• DC Crackdown vs. Effective Solutions

  • Trump’s federal response in DC focused on enforcement; critics say it complicates long-term housing strategies.

• Dallas’ Model

  • Dallas effectively ended downtown homelessness with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care program, coordinating city agencies, landlords, and businesses for permanent housing placement.
  • The city moved over 270 people off the streets.

“It’s a program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that basically gives money for areas to coordinate homelessness efforts...with an eye towards getting people into their own homes and getting them into their own homes permanently.”
—Rachel Siegel [04:57]

• Federal Funding Shift

  • The White House’s new budget proposal omits funding for this program, reassigning money toward short-term solutions (emergency shelter, sobriety, mental health programs).

• Impact of Permanent Housing

  • Personal stories like that of Donald Wilson, who benefitted from permanent housing and wraparound support, highlight the strategy’s effectiveness.
  • Experts underscore research showing that permanent housing is more cost-effective and reduces hospitalizations, jail time, and police encounters.

“Permanent housing is able to sustain people for much longer. It's cheaper than emergency solutions...It reduces interactions with the police or time that people spend in jail or in hospitals.”
—Rachel Siegel [07:22]

Key Segment Timestamps

• [03:37-07:22] Differences in approach, Dallas’s outcomes, and policy debate

Wildfire Regulations and California Homeowner Pushback

Key Discussion Points

• Zone Zero Legislation and Delays

  • A 2020 law required a five-foot ember-resistant buffer (“Zone Zero”) around homes in fire-prone zones.
  • Regulations stalled for five years due to lobbying from insurance companies, cost concerns, and demand for stricter rules. Funds to offset homeowner expenses complicated implementation.

• Impact of Regulatory Inaction

  • The January LA wildfires could have seen far less destruction (damage to 16,000 homes and 31 deaths) had the rules been enacted.

“If...Pacific Palisades, for instance, had enacted Zone Zero, fire officials scientists tell me...the extent of the destruction would have been much less.”
—Todd Woody [09:50]

• Resistance from Homeowners

  • Homeowners fear cost ($58 million statewide) and aesthetic losses, even though insured damages from the LA fires hit $45 billion.

• Executive Order and the Future

  • Governor Newsom has ordered completion of the regulations by year’s end.

Key Segment Timestamps

• [08:02-09:50] Explanation of Zone Zero and legislative delays
• [09:50-11:12] Fire impacts, science, homeowner resistance, future outlook

Quick News Roundup

• Texas Measles Outbreak Over [11:24]

  • 762 documented cases, 2 child deaths, outbreak ended through vaccination and community monitoring.

• AAP vs. CDC on Child COVID Vaccines [~12:00]

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends shots for children aged 6-23 months, against more cautious CDC guidance.
  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticizes AAP’s funding ties.

• US Open Mixed Doubles Revamp [~12:30]

  • Competition runs in a condensed two-day format. Notable players include Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• David Kirkpatrick on Trump’s Earnings:

  “[Trump’s] eagerness, even zeal, for making money. So much more so in this term than in the first term.” [01:41]

• Rachel Siegel on Housing First:

  “Permanent housing is able to sustain people for much longer. It's cheaper than emergency solutions or temporary housing. It reduces interactions with the police or time that people spend in jail or in hospitals.” [07:22]

• Todd Woody on Regret Over Wildfire Policy Delays:

  “If we don't do this and we don't harden homes, we're going to see a repeat of the disaster in Los Angeles.” [11:12]

Summary

This episode peels back the curtain on Donald Trump’s increased fortune attributed to his presidency, with expert reporting from David Kirkpatrick. It also tackles public policy around homelessness and urban safety, revealing bureaucratic gridlock hampering California’s wildfire preparedness. The news roundup provides sharp updates on public health and sports, delivered in the concise, informative tone typical of Apple News Today.

Listeners come away with a clearer sense of the complicated intersection of politics, wealth, social policy, and public accountability in today's headlines.