WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump launched his family's cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, with an interview on the X social media platform in which he also gave his first public comments on the apparent assassination attempt against him a day earlier.
Trump did not discuss specifics about World Liberty Financial on Monday or how it would work, pivoting from questions about cryptocurrency to talking about artificial intelligence or other topics. Instead, he recounted his experience Sunday, saying he and a friend playing golf “heard shots being fired in the air, and I guess probably four or five.”
“I would have loved to have sank that last putt,” Trump said. He credited the Secret Service agent who spotted the barrel of a rifle and began firing toward it as well as law enforcement and a civilian who he said helped track down the suspect.
World Liberty Financial is expected to be a borrowing and lending service used to trade cryptocurrencies, which are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system. Exchanges often charge fees for withdrawals of Bitcoin and other currencies.
Other speakers after Trump, including his eldest son, Don Jr., talked about embracing cryptocurrency as an alternative to what they allege is a banking system tilted against conservatives.
Experts have said a presidential candidate launching a business venture in the midst of a campaign could create ethical conflicts.
“Taking a pro-crypto stance is not necessarily troubling; the troubling aspect is doing it while starting a way to personally benefit from it,” Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said earlier this month.
During his time in the White House, Trump said he was “not a fan” of cryptocurrency and tweeted in 2019, “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade and other illegal activity." However, during this election cycle, he has reversed himself and taken on a favorable view of cryptocurrencies.
He announced in May that his campaign would begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to build what it calls a “crypto army” leading up to Election Day. He attended a bitcoin conference in Nashville this year, promising to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” and create a bitcoin “strategic reserve” using the currency that the government currently holds.
Hilary Allen, a law professor at American University who has done research on cryptocurrencies, said she was skeptical of Trump's change of heart on crypto.
“I think it’s fair to say that that reversal has been motivated in part by financial interests,” she said.
Crypto enthusiasts welcomed the shift, viewing the launch as a positive sign for investors if Trump retakes the White House.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has not offered policy proposals on how it would regulate digital assets like cryptocurrencies.
In an effort to appeal to crypto investors, a group of Democrats, including Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, participated in an online “Crypto 4 Harris” event in August.
Neither Harris nor members of her campaign staff attended the event.
Gomez Licon contributed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump waves as he boards a plane at Harry Reid International Airport after a campaign trip, Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
NEW YORK (AP) — Maybe it's the start of a Subway Series ride?
For the first time in 24 years Saturday, the New York Mets and New York Yankees both won a playoff game on the same day.
Brandon Nimmo and the Mets pulled off another late comeback, scoring five times in the eighth inning at Philadelphia to beat the rival Phillies 6-2 in the opener of their National League Division Series.
About 2 1/2 hours later, the Yankees finished off a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the Bronx behind a clutch hit and an acrobatic catch from slumping left fielder Alex Verdugo in Game 1 of their American League Division Series.
All five previous times the Mets and Yankees won postseason games on the same day came in 1999 and 2000. The most recent was Oct. 11, 2000, when the Yankees evened the AL Championship Series with a 7-1 victory at home over the Seattle Mariners in Game 2, and the Mets beat the Cardinals 6-2 in St. Louis to open their NL Championship Series.
The crosstown rivals ended up meeting in the World Series later that month for the only time, with the Yankees beating the Mets in five games for their third straight championship and fourth in five years.
That was the first Subway Series in New York City since 1956, when Don Larsen pitched a perfect game to help the Yankees knock off the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The wild-card Mets and AL East champion Yankees have baseball's two biggest payrolls this season, at more than $300 million apiece. Both teams have reached the best-of-five Division Series for the first time since 2006, when the Yankees were upset by Detroit in an ALDS and the Mets advanced to the NLCS before losing Game 7 at home to St. Louis.
Last season, both New York teams missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The New York Mets celebrate after winning Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Mets fans celebrate after the Mets won Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Mets fans celebrate after the Mets won Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Mets' Ryne Stanek, right, and Luis Torrens celebrate after they won Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) and outfielder Alex Verdugo celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the American League baseball division series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Mets' Harrison Bader (44) celebrates with teammates after they won Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge motions as he walks off the field after the Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the American League baseball division series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Tyrone Taylor (15) celebrate after winning Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Mets and Yankees win playoff games on same day for first time in 24 years
New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo, left, center fielder Aaron Judge, center, and Juan Soto celebrate after beating the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the American League baseball division series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Mets and Yankees win playoff games on same day for first time in 24 years
