President Donald Trump speaks with CNBC’s Joe Kernen in the Oval Office of the White House on July 2, 2026 in Washington.
CNBC
Hello, my name is Leonie Kidd and I’m from London. Welcome to today’s Daily Open Newsletter.
Try saying “semi-quincentennial” quickly. On July 4th of this year, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary of independence.
To mark the occasion, CNBC’s Joe Kernen exclusively interviewed US President Donald Trump for a wide-ranging interview that covered everything from his business interests to his Iran deal to his views on AI.
What you need to know today
President Donald Trump told CNBC that there is “nothing illegal” or “wrong” about his cryptocurrency investments. He described himself as a “really good businessman” and cited recent financial disclosures showing more than $580 million in crypto-related income, including about $515 million from the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial token sale and $65 million from the sale of shares in the WLF holding company.
Trump also defended his family’s business interests in a conversation with CNBC’s Joe Kernen in the Oval Office of the White House.
“If they buy energy-efficient trucks, they have inside information,” Trump said, arguing that his children would be subject to unusually wide scrutiny because his policies touch nearly every part of the economy.
“I tell my kids, ‘Stay away from me,'” he said. “But they also have lives. You know, they were in business long before I even thought about running for president.”
Trump also told CNBC he chose to forgo his presidential salary, saying the role has a “bigger purpose” than making money.
If you want more takeaways from this CNBC exclusive, you can read more here.
Watch the full interview here or read the full transcript here.
U.S. job creation slowed in June, with payrolls growing by just 57,000 jobs, worse than the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 115,000 and slower than May’s revised 129,000. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday showed the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%, the lowest in a year, as workers left the labor force.
Asian stock markets were on a roll during Friday trading, tracking gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average after the index closed at a record high. But it’s been a volatile week, with wild swings in global semiconductor stocks, triggering broad movements across the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said in an interview with CNBC that AI agents will soon rival human traders as agent technology disrupts the investment space. Learn more about his views on tokenized investing and AI-powered trading here.
— Leonie Kidd
And finally…
From chasing titles to building a business: What’s next for tennis legend Rafa Nadal?
Tennis legend Rafa Nadal retired from professional sports in 2024 after chasing titles and trophies for more than 20 years. Currently, he dedicates his time to multiple business ventures. But this second act of entrepreneurship didn’t happen overnight. Over the years, Nadal has built the foundations of a business portfolio spanning health, sports and education.
On this episode of “CNBC Meets,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion talks with host Tania Bleier about his retirement from competitive tennis, his multimillion-dollar deal to help grow his tennis academy and his excitement about building a hospitality business.
— Tania Breyer
