President Donald Trump speaks with CNBC’s Joe Kernen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 2, 2026.
CNBC
1. Trump feels sorry for his children over the investment audit
The president defended his family’s business and said he regretted that the presidency created a conflict of interest in his children’s investments.
“Everything they do because the presidency is so powerful … if they buy a cupcake company, well, the energy to make the cupcakes, you know, what’s my energy policy?” Trump said during the interview.
The president added: “In almost everything they do, when they want to buy a truck… when they buy an energy efficient truck, they have inside information.”
The president’s children’s investments have come under intense scrutiny, particularly because their portfolio aligned with the strategic goals of the elder Trump’s administration. The Trump administration has approved deals or contracts with several companies in which the younger Trumps have invested, from drone makers to mining companies.
Those investments have raised eyebrows in Congress, and some Democrats want to scrutinize the younger Trumps’ businesses for possible insider trading or conflicts of interest.
2. Trump says his son Eric handles his money
Donald Trump Jr., left, and Eric Trump speak at “Squawk on the Street” on February 18, 2026.
CNBC
Shortly after releasing a lengthy financial disclosure showing the president earned more than $2 billion in 2025, Trump said his son Eric Trump was handling his finances alongside major financial institutions.
“It’s given out to big companies…my son Eric is taking care of it,” Trump said. “I don’t talk to him about things like that. I think I should be allowed to, I’m not even sure what the status is, but I don’t.”
Trump said Eric Trump “puts his money in semi-blind trusts or blind trusts that people invest in.” The White House had previously said Trump’s finances would be managed by his children, and the president named one of his five children.
Trump’s financial revelations have sparked intense investigations into possible presidential profiteering. The White House has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Trump’s disclosure also listed about $515 million from token sales by the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial and $65 million from the sale of stakes in the WLF holding company. Trump said in the interview that there was “nothing illegal” and “nothing wrong” about the crypto company.
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3. The President still wants to fire Lisa Cook
Trump reiterated his desire to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, even after the Supreme Court blocked him from doing so.
The Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that Trump could not fire Cook for now because her legal battle against her firing was ongoing. But the justices, in a 5-4 decision, left the door open that Cook could be dismissed on the merits.
Trump was undeterred by the decision, saying in the interview that he would oust Cook if he “wins the case.”
“They sent it back, not because of the merits,” but because of “the process and procedure,” Trump said.
Trump is trying to fire Cook over alleged mortgage fraud unearthed by Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte, who is also now acting director of national intelligence.
4. Trump criticizes the housing law; still wants SAVE Act
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) returns to his office after speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
The president gave a muted answer to a question about whether he would sign a bipartisan housing bill approved by Congress last month, a week after he torpedoed a triumphant signing ceremony on Capitol Hill hours before it began over the stalled voter ID bill, the SAVE America Act.
“There’s a lot of Democratic arguments in there that I don’t even think are good, but it’s fine,” Trump said when asked if he would sign the housing bill. “But I argued that I would rather not sign anything until we signed the SAVE America Act.”
Trump has been pushing for the SAVE Act for months. The bill would require voters to show identification at elections to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote and could make voting more difficult, particularly for low-income and minority communities. The president also wants to add other conservative wishes to the bill, such as a ban on mail-in voting, which has limited support in Congress.
But the president’s signature blockade has now delayed passage of the largely bipartisan housing bill, which both parties wanted to use as an example of how to solve the affordability crisis.
The SAVE Act push has also stalled the House floor, with some Republican members of Congress threatening to continue voting against other legislation until the SAVE Act is passed.
The Senate doesn’t have the votes to pass the measure, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his caucus don’t appear to have the will to get rid of the 60-vote filibuster.
“What I really want is for them to kill the filibuster and put an end to it,” Trump said.
The housing bill will become law with or without Trump’s signature unless he vetoes it. He did not say he would veto it, nor did he say so in the interview.
5. “Our” judges
Trump complained during the interview that the Supreme Court’s three liberal justices vote as a bloc while conservatives often splinter.
“Very, very rarely do they not vote as a bloc,” Trump said of liberals. “Our people, on the other hand, and we have six, move around a little.”
“The Republicans want to show everyone that they are not being controlled and how honorable they are,” Trump said.
Supreme Court justices are technically impartial, but are typically appointed based on their ideological leanings. However, a lifetime appointment protects them from partisan politics and they often defy the party of the president who appointed them.
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