Just the facts, no opinion
Trump’s biggest donor-policy thread is easiest to prove through the Adelson / Israel lane. Reuters reported that Sheldon Adelson was in regular contact with Trump and saw key long-sought Israel goals materialize, including the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. Reuters also reported that in 2025 Trump publicly praised Miriam Adelson for helping shape U.S. decisions on Israel.
On the money side, Trump’s own 2025 financial disclosure showed more than $600 million in income from crypto, golf, licensing, and related ventures; Reuters highlighted $57.35 million from token sales, at least $26 million from branded royalties like watches, sneakers, fragrances, and Bibles, and more than $36 million in international licensing fees. Reuters also found that a Trump-linked entity was entitled to 75% of revenue from new World Liberty token sales, and later estimated the Trump Organization took in about $802 million from crypto ventures in the first half of 2025 alone.
On foreign-linked benefit, CREW estimated Trump likely benefited from $13.6 million in payments from foreign governments during his first presidency, and later projected that his overseas real-estate developments could produce more than $400 million in second-term income.
Yale’s Budget Lab reports that the 2025 tariffs pushed the average effective U.S. tariff rate to 9.9%. The Tax Foundation estimates that the 2026 tariff package amounts to an average $700 tax increase per U.S. household. Meanwhile, Penn Wharton projects that the April 2025 tariffs would reduce long-run GDP by about 6%, lower wages by roughly 5%, and result in an estimated $22,000 lifetime loss for a middle-income household.
These are significant, concrete impacts for working families. For retirees, tariffs increase consumer prices, which disproportionately affects those living on fixed incomes. Additionally, the attack on Iran and the subsequent fallout from Trump’s war on Iran is impacting global economies.
