President Donald Trump speaks with CNBC’s Joe Kernen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 2, 2026.
CNBC
Hello, this is Leonie Kidd writing to you from London. Welcome to today’s edition of the Daily Open newsletter.
Try saying “semiquincentennial” quickly. This July 4th, the United States celebrates 250 years of independence.
To mark the moment, CNBC’s Joe Kernen spoke exclusively to U.S. President Donald Trump in a wide-ranging interview that covers everything from his business interests to the agreement with Iran to his views on AI.
What you need to know today
President Donald Trump has told CNBC that there is “nothing illegal” or “wrong” with his crypto investments. Describing himself as “a really good business person”, he addressed his recent financial disclosures that showed more than $580 million in crypto-related income, including about $515 million from Trump-linked World Liberty Financial token sales and $65 million from sales of equity in WLF’s holding company.
Speaking to CNBC’s Joe Kernen in the Oval Office at the White House, Trump also defended his family’s business interests.
“If they buy an energy efficient truck, they have inside information,” Trump said, while arguing that his children face unusually broad scrutiny because presidential policy touches nearly every part of the economy.
“I tell my kids, ‘stay away,'” he said. “But they also have a life. You know, they were doing business long before I ever thought of … running for president.”
Trump also told CNBC that he has chosen to forgo the Presidential salary, saying the role presents a “bigger purpose” than making money.
For more takeaways from this CNBC exclusive, you can read more here.
Watch the full interview here, or read through the full transcript here.
U.S. job creation slowed in June, with payrolls growth coming in at just 57,000, worse than the 115,000 consensus forecast from Dow Jones, and slower than May’s revised 129,000. And while the jobless level fell to 4.2% — the lowest in a year — this came as workers exited the labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data on Thursday.
Stocks in Asia are in the green during Friday’s session, tracking the Dow Jones Industrial average higher after the index closed at a record high. But it’s been a volatile week, with big swings in global chip stocks driving broader moves across the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Speaking to CNBC, the CEO of Robinhood Vlad Tenev, says AI agents will soon be able to match human traders, as agentic technology disrupts the investing space. For more on his views about tokenized investing and AI-powered trading, watch here.
— Leonie Kidd
And finally…
From chasing titles to building businesses: Tennis legend Rafa Nadal on his next act
After chasing titles and trophies for more than two decades, tennis legend Rafa Nadal retired from the professional sport in 2024. Now he is dedicating his time to multiple business ventures. But this second act as an entrepreneur did not begin overnight. Nadal has long been laying the foundation for a business portfolio that spans health, sport and education.
In this episode of “CNBC Meets,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion speaks with host Tania Bryer about being at peace with his retirement from competitive tennis, the multimillion-dollar deal to help grow his tennis academy and his excitement about building a hospitality business.
— Tania Bryer