Christie Calls Trump’s $1.4 Billion Crypto Gains 'Putin‑Esque' Corruption
Christie’s on‑air attack directs attention to possible Emoluments Clause issues and taxpayer bills tied to gifts such as Qatar’s Air Force One.
Overview
- On Sunday, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie used ABC’s This Week to accuse President Trump of treating the White House as a vehicle for personal enrichment and described the behavior as a “Putin‑esque type of corruption.”
- Christie tied his critique to recent reporting that Trump’s family cryptocurrency ventures generated about $1.4 billion in profits last year and said the family believes their election victory gave them license to profit.
- President Trump has denied personal involvement in managing those funds, telling reporters he “doesn’t get involved” and that outside funds run his money without his direct oversight.
- Christie raised the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause as a possible legal angle, citing the Qatar‑gifted Air Force One and arguing upgrades and ballroom work could impose hundreds of millions to roughly a billion dollars in taxpayer costs.
- News coverage shows an intra‑party split on the issue and highlights a practical limit on routine enforcement because individual ethics laws do not apply to the president, which could shift public debate and legal focus to constitutional claims and congressional or court action.