How Trump and his family are profiteering from Chinese AI which his administration labels as dangerous for the US

The Trump family is facing scrutiny over a business partnership involving Chinese artificial intelligence, even as the Trump administration has warned about national-security risks linked to Chinese AI technology. World Liberty Financial, a crypto company backed by Trump and his family, is collaborating with Hong Kong-based WorldClaw, which offers access to AI models from Chinese companies including Alibaba, Baidu and Z.ai. Reuters reports that 43 of WorldClaw's 90 models come from Chinese firms flagged by the administration. The Trump family owns 38% of World Liberty and profits from its USD1 stablecoin transactions, raising questions about a potential conflict between business interests and national-security policy.

The lineup reportedly also includes AI models from DeepSeek and Moonshot, two Chinese labs that US officials have accused of developing their systems using stolen American technology. At the same time, the platform also offers models from US-based companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, have also publicly endorsed WorldClaw, while World Liberty executive Ryan Fang has worked with the company as an adviser.

World Liberty generates revenue when customers use its USD1 stablecoin to pay for services on WorldClaw, including access to various AI models, reported the outlet. Like other dollar-pegged stablecoins, USD1 is backed by traditional assets, including US Treasury securities, which are intended to help keep its value tied to the US dollar. The Trump family is entitled to receive a share of the interest generated by those underlying assets, meaning increased use of USD1 can potentially create additional income for the family.


The media outlet was unable to determine the specific financial terms of World Liberty’s relationship with WorldClaw or establish how much the Trump family has earned from cryptocurrency transactions conducted through the platform.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly rejected concerns about the relationship in a statement quoted by the news agency, saying there are 'no conflicts of interest' between World Liberty and WorldClaw. She added that President Trump’s decisions are guided solely by what he believes is in the best interests of the American public.

According to the news agency, there is currently no indication that World Liberty’s partnership with WorldClaw, or WorldClaw’s dealings with Chinese AI companies, violates the law. Chinese AI models are also gaining popularity worldwide, partly because they are generally less expensive, with some US technology companies increasingly using or evaluating them.

Still, several experts in Chinese technology, trade and government ethics argued that the partnership, along with the potential financial gains for President Trump through World Liberty, appears to conflict with the administration's broader stance toward Chinese technology companies.

David Wachsman, a spokesperson for World Liberty, said WorldClaw operates as an independent company. He also pointed out that several major US companies similarly provide access to AI models developed by both Chinese and American technology firms.

"This is a common and widely accepted approach," Wachsman said in an email as quoted by the outlet.

A WorldClaw spokesperson also said the company helps American AI firms reach users in international markets. The spokesperson also stressed that making an AI model available on its platform should not be viewed as an endorsement of the company or developer behind it.