Bankman Fried Praises Trump Arrest of Maduro and Slams Biden

Sam Bankman-Fried has issued a series of public statements praising US President Donald Trump and criticizing former President Joe Biden, following recent media appearances and online posts. The comments came days after Caroline Ellison, former chief executive of Alameda Research, was released from federal custody.

Good to Know

• Caroline Ellison was released after serving 440 days in prison
• Bankman-Fried gave media interviews in February and March 2025
• Public comments focused on crypto policy and political leadership

In recent posts on X with the teaser “Why I became a Republican in 2022”, Sam Bankman-Fried expressed support for Donald Trump, while directing criticism at Joe Biden and members of the prior administration. The remarks followed a February 2025 interview with the New York Sun and a March appearance with political commentator Tucker Carlson.

On Friday, Bankman-Fried posted on X: “@realdonaldtrump is right on crypto.” The comment appeared shortly after Caroline Ellison completed a 440-day prison sentence related to the 2022 collapse of FTX and its affiliated trading firm Alameda Research.

Bankman-Fried also commented on foreign policy matters, praising Trump for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He described the action as “smart, gutsy, and pro-democracy.”

At the same time, Bankman-Fried criticized the Biden administration. “All the world leaders I met were fed up with Biden,” he said, adding that Biden “bungled crypto.” The comments contrast with Bankman-Fried earlier political activity, which included donating millions of dollars to Democratic campaigns.

Regulatory leadership formed a central part of the criticism. Bankman-Fried said Biden did not need to take the approach he chose on digital asset policy. “I didn’t have to,” he said, referring to political support, adding that “plenty in the party had reasonable thoughts.” He then cited the appointment of Gary Gensler to lead the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gensler oversaw an enforcement-led approach to crypto regulation and stepped down from the role in January 2025, shortly before Trump inauguration.