Trump Reportedly Upset Over XRP Lobbying Tie in Crypto Reserve Post

President Donald Trump was reportedly caught off guard and angered after discovering that a recent social media post promoting XRP, Solana, and Cardano was drafted by a lobbyist affiliated with Ripple, according to a report by Politico citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

The post, published in March on Trump’s Truth Social platform, declared support for a "Crypto Strategic Reserve" that would include XRP, ADA, and SOL. Trump framed the move as part of a broader effort to bolster the digital asset sector following what he described as years of "corrupt attacks by the Biden Administration." He also claimed his executive order had instructed the Presidential Working Group to establish the reserve, aimed at making the U.S. “the Crypto Capital of the World.”

What Trump reportedly didn’t realize at the time was that the statement had been crafted by an employee at Ballard Partners, a prominent lobbying firm led by Brian Ballard, a long-time Trump ally. Ballard’s firm represents Ripple, the blockchain company most closely associated with XRP — a fact that later surfaced and, according to Politico’s sources, left Trump “furious” and feeling he had been misled.

Ripple has consistently maintained that it does not control XRP, though it remains the token’s most prominent supporter. The company did not comment publicly on the reported incident.

Following the post, the prices of Cardano, XRP, and Solana saw notable gains, underscoring the market influence of Trump’s endorsement. He later clarified that the proposed reserve would also include Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Politico’s report further claims that the fallout strained Ballard’s position within Trump’s inner circle, with the lobbyist reportedly becoming a “pariah in the West Wing.” Despite the controversy, Ballard Partners has continued to thrive post-election, securing over 130 new clients, including major corporations such as JP Morgan, Palantir, Chevron, Netflix, and United Airlines.

In a separate but related development, Trump signed another executive order in March to establish a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, signaling a growing interest in shaping America’s crypto future.