New political reports suggest that former President Donald Trump may have been unwittingly influenced into supporting XRP as part of his proposed U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve. The source of this alleged manipulation? Longtime GOP lobbyist Brian Ballard, who has financial ties to Ripple Labs.

Although Trump was said to be outraged upon learning of the situation, XRP’s status in the reserve appears to remain unchanged—likely due to Ripple’s ongoing financial and political support for the former president.

Explosive Claims About Trump’s XRP Endorsement

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump championed the creation of a U.S. Bitcoin Reserve, a proposal that later evolved to include prominent altcoins such as SOL, ADA, and XRP. His early social media post highlighting those tokens #TRUMP sparked widespread attention in the crypto world.

However, a new report from Politico claims Trump never intended to promote XRP. Allegedly, Ballard—whose firm received $60,000 from Ripple Labs last year—used internal pressure to push XRP into Trump’s announcement. One of Ballard’s aides reportedly lobbied Trump directly to include XRP.

When the President learned of the lobbying efforts and Ballard’s ties to Ripple, he was reportedly furious and has since severed ties with the lobbyist.

Will XRP Be Removed? Probably Not#xrp

Despite speculation that Trump might now purge XRP and other altcoins from the proposed reserve, insiders suggest that’s unlikely. His anger seems directed at the manipulation rather than XRP itself.

The timing of the controversy—just before the $USDC

Trump-hosted Crypto Summit—added tension, especially among backers like tech investor David Sacks. Still, Ripple has long been an ally. CEO Brad Garlinghouse has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s crypto platform and has contributed millions to his campaigns and events.

That support may help XRP weather this political storm. Punishing Ripple for a lobbyist’s maneuver may not serve Trump’s broader crypto agenda.

No Official Response—Yet

So far, no official statements have been made by Trump, Ballard, or Ripple. The executive order Trump signed merely calls for an “assessment” of a strategic crypto reserve, and no formal implementation has occurred.

In the meantime, XRP’s price and market position appear stable, signaling that investors don’t anticipate immediate fallout from these revelations.