Trump's "Push for XRP and Other Crypto Reserves" Post Driven by Lobbyists, Enraged Upon Learning

On March 2, Trump posted on Truth Social about "advancing a cryptocurrency strategic reserve including XRP, SOL, and ADA." Hours later, Trump felt he had been fooled, became furious, and ordered Brian Ballard to be placed on the White House "blacklist." At the time, Trump was attending a fundraising event at Mar-a-Lago, where an employee of the well-known lobbying firm Ballard Partners repeatedly lobbied the president in person, strongly advocating for Trump to publicly support the crypto industry. The lobbyist not only personally handed Trump a prepared speech template but also repeatedly emphasized the importance of promoting the industry. Trump later realized that the company behind XRP mentioned in the tweet, Ripple Labs, was a client of Ballard Partners. The lobbying firm Ballard Partners is run by American political lobbyist Brian Ballard, known for his close ties to Trump and once considered an "insider" of the Trump administration. Minutes after the president's post, David Sacks, the White House's head of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, was furious and immediately called Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to protest. Trump also bluntly stated in an internal meeting that Ballard should "never think about being involved in any affairs again," and White House staff were instructed not to meet with Brian Ballard. Despite being internally banned, Ballard still received invitations to Trump's fundraising events and successfully arranged for NFL executives to meet with the president, indicating that Ballard had not severed ties with the White House.