President Donald Trump is said to have become furious upon discovering that the post supporting XRP, SOL, and ADA was proposed by Ripple's lobbying firm.
Earlier, in early March 2025, President Donald Trump posted an article on Truth Social stating that he had issued an executive order on digital assets, quickly directing his advisory team to establish a national crypto reserve fund and specifically naming three coins to be included: XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA), alongside the two leading names in the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
The post immediately created a significant impact. The prices of all three named coins surged. However, less than 24 hours later, Trump discovered that the company behind XRP - Ripple Labs - was indeed a client of Ballard Partners, the lobbying firm that provided the content of the post for him to publish on Truth Social.
According to sources close to Politico, an employee of Ballard at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort has repeatedly convinced the President to post content mentioning XRP without disclosing that Ripple is a client of the firm. Right after the post, Trump’s crypto advisor, David Sacks, directly called Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to question her. The entire White House machinery immediately traced the origin of the article and discovered the connection between Ripple and Ballard.
President Trump is said to have been extremely angry when he realized he was being used as a "promotional tool" for a private company without his knowledge. He reportedly became so furious that he declared, "Brian Ballard will not be allowed to be involved in anything at the White House anymore."
Brian Ballard is the founder of Ballard Partners and is considered one of the most influential figures in the political lobbying scene in Washington. He previously served as legal counsel for the Trump Organization, was a major fundraiser for Trump's campaigns, and has close ties with key figures such as Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Immediately after discovering the matter, Trump tried to "put out the fire" by posting another article, this time adding both Bitcoin and Ethereum to the reserve fund in an attempt to soothe public opinion and avoid the appearance of favoritism. Nevertheless, Brian Ballard's reputation in the eyes of the President and within the White House has been damaged and is considered irreparable.
Since the incident, the White House has issued an internal directive not to hold any meetings with Ballard or his representatives. Some of Ballard's clients, including major corporations like TikTok, BMW, Chevron, and Ripple, have had to seek other channels within Trump's team to maintain political connections with the President.
Although Ballard claims that he is "still invited to attend the President's events" and denies being barred, according to Politico, his actual influence within the West Wing has significantly diminished. A long-time ally of Trump remarked:
"The President does not hate lobbyists; he understands they have to make a living through relationships. But what he cannot accept is being turned into a tool for others to polish their names or serve their own interests."
Ballard Partners is currently one of the most powerful lobbying firms in Washington D.C., attracting over 130 new clients just in the first quarter of 2025. Q1/2025 revenue reached $14 million, three times the same period last year. The client list spans major technology and financial corporations such as Netflix, JP Morgan, TikTok, Harvard, and Bayer.
However, the image of the "Trump whisperer," a particularly influential figure in the President's inner circle that Ballard has painstakingly built over nearly a decade, is now under serious doubt. Those close to Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was once Ballard's associate before leaving, remain cautious. Although Wiles insists that "campaign interests are the top priority," an insider does not hesitate to state, "People can overlook it, but it’s not easy to forget."
Despite being "personally named" by President Donald Trump in the post on Truth Social and even having the SEC drop its lawsuit against the company, the price of XRP could not capitalize on the positive sentiment. Instead of growing, the token's price dropped more than 20%, from $2.87 to $2.31.
