Sen. Mark Kelly accused President Donald Trump of prioritizing his own financial gain over the economic well-being of American families, as new polling shows broad public dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy and recent reports detail a sharp increase in the president’s personal wealth during his second term.
“Trump’s family is billions of dollars richer than last year. The average American family? They’re worse off,” Kelly said. “Trump’s top priority has always been himself. If he spent half as much time actually being President as he has profiting off his presidency, the story might be different.”
Trump’s family is billions of dollars richer than last year. The average American family? They’re worse off.
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) February 10, 2026
Trump’s top priority has always been himself. If he spent half as much time actually being President as he has profiting off his presidency, the story might be different.
Trump entered his second term in January 2025 already a billionaire, but his net worth has risen dramatically since returning to office. According to Forbes, his wealth climbed from $3.9 billion in 2024 to $7.3 billion as of September 2025, nearly doubling in less than a year. That increase follows a decade in which his net worth fluctuated but remained well below its current level, standing at $2.5 billion in 2020 and 2021, $3.2 billion in 2022, and $2.6 billion in 2023.
The president earns an annual salary of $400,000, but the scale of his recent wealth gains far exceeds what could be attributed to that compensation. Much of the increase has been driven by cryptocurrency-related ventures that expanded rapidly during his second term. After previously criticizing digital assets, Trump embraced the sector in 2025, signing an executive order in March to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile under the Treasury Department. The move elevated bitcoin’s status within federal policy and marked a significant shift from his approach during his first term.
Forbes estimated that Trump’s personal crypto ventures added about $2 billion to his fortune in roughly 10 months. Just ahead of Inauguration Day, the Trump family launched two meme coins, $TRUMP and $MELANIA. While both tokens surged and then fell sharply in value, trading fees generated roughly $100 million for the family in less than two weeks. Among the high-profile investors in $TRUMP was crypto billionaire Justin Sun. In February, the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped fraud charges against Sun, a development that drew attention amid Trump’s increasingly aggressive posture on cryptocurrency.
Beyond cryptocurrency, Trump’s wealth remains spread across a range of longstanding assets. As of September 2025, Forbes valued his crypto and liquid holdings at $2.4 billion, including cash, meme coin tokens, and interests in digital asset ventures. Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, was valued at $2 billion despite declining stock performance and modest revenue. His golf clubs and resorts were valued at $1.3 billion, while real estate investments across several states and the Caribbean totaled about $1.2 billion. Other assets, including licensing businesses, personal aircraft, pensions, and loans to his children, accounted for an additional $120 million.
Kelly contrasted Trump’s growing wealth with economic conditions facing many Americans. “Hell, working families would actually be better off if Trump had done nothing at all — because his policies are setting back the middle class,” he said. “Americans are seeing higher costs from tariffs, skyrocketing premiums, and record jobs losses thanks to him.”
Hell, working families would actually be better off if Trump had done nothing at all — because his policies are setting back the middle class. Americans are seeing higher costs from tariffs, skyrocketing premiums, and record jobs losses thanks to him.
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) February 10, 2026
Public opinion data released in January suggest those concerns are widely shared. A New York Times/Siena poll found that 60 percent of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, with more than half saying his policies have made life less affordable. Other surveys reported similar findings, including a CNN/SSRS poll showing 55 percent believe Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions, an AP/NORC poll in which 53 percent said the economy is worse off since he took office, and a Reuters/Ipsos survey that put approval of his economic performance at 36 percent.
As debate continues over Trump’s economic agenda, the contrast between his personal financial gains and persistent voter concerns about affordability and economic security has become a focal point for critics, including Kelly, who argue that the president’s term has disproportionately benefited himself while leaving many Americans struggling.
