Trump Claims He’s ‘The Only President’ Who Ever Lost Money While in Office

Donald Trump apparently lost out on a lot of big paydays while he was in office, and he maintains he's the only president to do so. Addressing a rally in South Dakota, the former president lamented his "losses." Trump, who has lied about his weight, his height, his golf scores, the size of the crowds he draws, and, according to Attorney General Letitia James, his financial worth, seized the chance to complain about the supposed "billions" he lost while in office, per Rolling Stone.

“I’m the only president that ever lost money while serving in office,” he bemoaned on stage on September 8. “I lost a number of billions… I could’ve made a fortune. I could’ve gone to these countries and made deals,” he said wistfully before adding, “I put things in trusts, I said my kids are gonna run it. I said, ‘Don’t do deals outside of the country’… They go, ‘Dad can we do something? I said, ‘No, you know, I’m president. We have a higher standard.’”

After the event, a video of Trump's speech went viral on social media, which prompted the public to criticize the politician for his assertions, per OK! Magazine. A tweet mocked him sarcastically, writing, "What a noble sacrifice."

Even though Trump claims he has not benefitted monetarily directly from his presidential post, an independent investigation conducted by nonpartisan advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) found that Trump made up to $160 million from foreign countries as president. 

Trump's decision to remain a shareholder in the Trump Organization resulted in unprecedented conflicts of interest, with his most serious conflicts involving foreign companies with an interest in US foreign policy, reported the bipartisan body. There is a ton of proof that Trump's actions as president were affected, if not directed, by his financial interests, undermining the interests of the country for his own narrow objectives, per Raw Story. 

The Trumps used their position as president to restart stalled previous agreements, reopening projects in nations like India, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, and others during their tenure. "Trump pulled in the most money from the United Kingdom, where his Aberdeen and Turnberry golf courses in Scotland helped him gross $58 million. Trump’s now-defunct hotel and tower in Vancouver helped him pull in $36.5 million from Canada. Trump brought in more than $24.4 million from Ireland, home to his often-visited Doonbeg golf course, as well as $9.6 million from India, and nearly $9.7 million from Indonesia," the report reads.

For instance, in 2015, when he was running for office, Trump boasted to an audience in Alabama about his extensive business connections with the Saudis. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million,” he told the crowd. “Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”