Laura Coates Airs Montage Calling Out Hypocrisy of Trump’s Case Against Washington

CNN anchor Laura Coates aired a montage Wednesday night calling out President Trump for his hypocrisy over making money while holding public office, remarking, “For nearly a decade, that has been his case against Washington. Now, his own financial disclosure: Is it Exhibit A against him?” On Tuesday, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics released President Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s mandatory financial disclosures for 2025. Trump’s 927-page dump revealed, among other things, that two of his companies generated around $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency sales last year. The documents additionally revealed that Trump was paid a $10.71 million licensing fee for Amazon MGM Studios’ “Melania” documentary, as well as a $521,161 licensing payment for the “Melania” memoir from Skyhorse Publishing and $6 million in net proceeds for the sale of “NFTs and other collectibles” related to his wife First Lady Melania Trump. It was with all of that in mind that Coates aired a minute-long montage on Wednesday comprised of clips of Trump calling out past political opponents like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden for making money while holding elected political positions. CNN Montage of Trump attacking others claiming they were profiting while in office: — Acyn (@Acyn) July 2, 2026 Hillary Clinton has perfected the politics of personal profit and even theft The Bidens got rich while America got robbed. Politicians ran for office, promising to protect American workers.… pic.twitter.com/rMAbav58pv “Hillary Clinton has perfected the politics of personal profit and even theft,” Trump says at one point in the montage. In a separate clip, he claims, “The Bidens got rich — and that is substantiated — while America got robbed.” President Trump’s financial disclosure for 2025 revealed that his many holdings, including his real estate and crypto assets, altogether generated at least $2.2 billion in revenue last year. That represents a considerable jump from the $622 million in revenue that his assets reportedly generated throughout 2024, the year before he retook office. “For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost,” Trump says in Coates’ montage. “The Washington establishment and the financial and media corporations that fund it exist for only one reason: To protect and enrich itself.” Trump has credited the stock market for his recent financial performance, all while insisting that his sons manage his finances while he is in office. The White House, for its part, has pushed back against ethical concerns about the president’s financial earnings. “Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged — or will ever engage — in conflicts of interest,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a prior statement. “All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people.”