News

Donald Trump Complained That The Presidency Has Cost Him "Massive Amounts Of Money"

by Chelsea Stewart
Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

President Donald Trump made his name and his fame as a businessman, but that's all in the past. And apparently, the presidency is costing Trump big time. In a Jan. 31 interview with The New York Times, the president said that he's losing "massive amounts of money" from the job, and that's it a real "loser." The thing is, though, Donald Trump's comments about losing money as president are so very ironic.

Trump reportedly made the comment after scoffing at the suggestion that the role has been profitable for him, telling the publication that the amount of money his business empire has lost is "incredible." He said:

I lost massive amounts of money doing this job. This is not the money. This is one of the great losers of all time. You know, fortunately, I don’t need money. This is one of the great losers of all time. But they’ll say that somebody from some country stayed at a hotel. And I’ll say, ‘Yeah.’ But I lose, I mean, the numbers are incredible.

Elite Daily reached out to the White House for further comment on his remarks, including a specific number of money he's lost while in office, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Despite his complaints of losing money, the president and his family have in fact been criticized for moves that might allow them to profit off the presidency. After winning the 2016 election the president put his business empire into the hands of his eldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, but did not put his business interests into a blind trust as previous presidents have done. The president has also been criticized for his continued connection to real estate endeavors patronized by foreign interests, while his daughter, Ivanka, was scrutinized for receiving approval for Chinese trademarks for her brand in the middle of her father's trade negotiations with China. A representative of the brand said at the time that there was nothing "improper" about the trademarks. The White House did not immediately respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on the president's association with the businesses.

On the other hand, individual consumers haven't always been a fan of the Trump brand. In 2016 the #GrabYourWallet campaign called for a boycott of the Trump family's businesses and products as a response to his infamous comments about grabbing women by the genitals, and there's also an app called Boycott Trump that helps users avoid supporting businesses have connections to the president. The White House did not immediately respond to Elite Daily's request for comment.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Regardless, Trump went on to say that he “love[s] this job" and will still seek re-election in 2020. In regards to the overwhelming list of Democratic candidates who have announced presidential campaigns, he added, “I would say the best opening so far would be Kamala Harris."

“Some of the others were very flat,” Trump continued.

The 2020 presidential field is still developing, but there's already a stunning amount of candidates. In addition to Harris, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) have announced bids, as well as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii). Indiana Mayor Pete Guttigieg and former San Antonio, Texas mayor Julian Castro are also taking shots at the White House. According to Vox, other potential candidates include former Vice President Joe Biden, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont).

On the other hand, no Republicans have emerged to openly take on Trump. In fact, the president told the Post he doesn't see it happening, even though some Republicans are reportedly considering taking him on. “I don’t see it,” he said, adding, “I have great support in the party.”

As long as he's got that, who needs dollars right? We'll see whether his funds get back on track in the years to come.