News 
May 8, 2025 
4 min. 
In a surprising turn of events, former U.S. President Donald Trump unknowingly endorsed cryptocurrencies linked to Ripple Labs after a lobbyist influenced him during a donor event. His Truth Social post from March promoted XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA) as part of a proposed “U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve,” which triggered internal unrest among his advisors and ultimately led to the lobbyist’s removal.
According to Politico, Trump’s post declared that his administration would position the U.S. as the “Crypto Capital of the World” by backing a reserve of select digital assets. The message specifically highlighted XRP, SOL, and ADA as strategic assets for national crypto leadership.
However, Trump’s team quickly grew concerned. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that a representative from Ballard Partners, a powerful lobbying firm representing Ripple Labs, drafted the post. During the Mar-a-Lago donor event, the lobbyist reportedly handed Trump the draft and urged him to share it.
Trump, unaware of the lobbyist’s Ripple affiliation, published the post without realizing its deeper implications. Once his team uncovered the connection, Trump took swift action, which caused friction at senior advisory levels.
Trump Cuts Ties Over Ripple Controversy, Escalating Crypto Lobbying Tensions
After learning about the lobbyist’s ties to Ripple, Trump reacted angrily and instructed his team to sever all connections. “He’s done. No more access,” one insider quoted Trump as saying, highlighting the fallout’s severity.
Ripple has long insisted it does not control XRP. However, the company remains a central player in the XRP ecosystem and continues to face legal and regulatory scrutiny. The timing of Trump’s post, combined with the resulting price surges in XRP, SOL, and ADA, fueled speculation around market manipulation or political opportunism.
At the core of the controversy is Ballard Partners, a firm led by Trump ally Brian Ballard. The firm reportedly generated $14 million in lobbying revenue during Q1 2025 and represents high-profile clients such as TikTok and BMW. Despite this history, the crypto scandal has reportedly damaged its relationship with Trump.
Trump’s team has since distanced itself from Ballard Partners. Sources say staff received clear instructions to avoid future meetings or dealings with the firm, signaling a sharp departure from previous cooperation.
Ballard, however, pushed back. In a statement to Politico, he called the allegations false and said his firm is “accustomed to dealing with false narratives.” He also denied using his relationship with Trump to gain business advantages. Still, insiders close to Trump view the incident as irreparable. “If the president believes you’re leveraging his name for personal gain, you’re out,” said a longtime confidant.
Although Trump later clarified that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) would also be part of any proposed strategic crypto reserve, the damage had already been done.
Neither Ripple nor the White House has commented on the matter.
