--- title: "Trump administration has 57 officials worth at least $100m, report finds" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-has-57-officials-worth-at-least-100m-report-finds" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-administration-has-57-officials-worth-at-least-100m-report-finds" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-has-57-officials-worth-at-least-100m-report-finds.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-administration-has-57-officials-worth-at-least-100m-report-finds" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-17T13:46:14.377Z" source_reported: "2026-08-17T13:03:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-17T14:45:19.729Z" trust_score: 96 critic_score: 87 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-17T14:45:19.692107+00:00" --- # Trump administration has 57 officials worth at least $100m, report finds *Public Citizen says the number is more than four times the combined total of the three previous administrations* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 96 of 100, higher is better. Trust high (96) due to named source Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen report, specific figures, and multiple independent outlets. - Craft 87 of 100, higher is better. Critic score (87) reflects clear explanation of significance, quoted expert, specific data, and coherent narrative. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype moderate (30) with mild emphasis but no exaggerated claims beyond the factual report. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Public Citizen’s report states 57 officials in Donald Trump’s administration are worth at least $100 million, including 17 ambassadors and 40 senior officials. - The number is more than four times the combined total of the three previous administrations (Bush, Obama, Biden). - Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen warned that a government dominated by the ultra-rich could lead to misplaced incentives and corruption. - No right-rated outlet carried the story, according to the reports below. A report by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen found that 57 officials in Donald Trump’s administration are worth at least $100 million. The figure includes 17 ambassadors and 40 senior officials across the executive branch, as reported by the Associated Press and Washington Top News. The report states that the number of ultra-rich officials in the Trump administration is more than four times the combined total of the three previous presidents. George W. Bush and Joe Biden each had five officials worth $100 million or more, while Barack Obama had three, according to Public Citizen. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, said the concentration of wealth among officials raises concerns about whose interests the government serves. "When the people holding the reins of government are drawn overwhelmingly from the ranks of the ultra-rich, it leads to misplaced incentives and corruption," she said, as quoted by the Associated Press and Washington Top News. The report does not include Trump, whose net worth Forbes estimates at over $6 billion, or Elon Musk, who advised Trump on reducing the federal government’s size and scope. Musk’s net worth is estimated at about $860 billion. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story, according to the reports printed below. None of the digests or full reports mentioned the specific policies Trump has pursued that could benefit wealthy officials, such as tax cuts or deregulation, beyond Washington Top News’s brief reference to them. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 54% (7) - Centre: 38% (5) - Right: 8% (1) 1 of 14 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-17T14:45:19.692107+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-17T15:30:12.554Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on the scale of the disparity between the Trump administration and its predecessors. The Associated Press and Washington Top News both highlighted that the 57 officials worth at least $100 million in Trump’s administration exceed the combined total of Bush, Obama and Biden. The Seattle Times, Seattle Pi and The Hamilton Spectator carried digests that repeated the same figure. - The Associated Press and Washington Top News quoted Lisa Gilbert’s warning about misplaced incentives and corruption. Both outlets also named specific officials, including Treasury Secretary Howard Lutnick, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, all billionaires. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports also led on the comparison with previous administrations. Audacy, WKMG, The Record and the Winnipeg Free Press carried digests stating that the number of officials worth over $100 million in Trump’s administration is more than four times the combined total of the three previous presidents. Washington Top News’s full report included the same comparison and named the same officials as the Associated Press. - Washington Top News added context on Trump’s justification for appointing wealthy officials, quoting his view that financial success demonstrates competence. It also noted that only 32% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of the economy as of last month, down from 40% at the start of his second term. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 9 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Independent Español](https://independentespanol.com/noticias/eeuu/informe-57-funcionarios-de-trump-son-ultrarricos-con-patrimonios-de-100-millones-o-mas-b3034313.html) — Report: 57 Trump Officials Are Ultra-Rich, with Assets of $100 Million or More - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/08/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows/article_54ccfdf5-b3b8-5f9c-8963-bcef1b6ac857.html) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/business/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in White House, report shows - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-millionaires-billionaires-appointees-212d2d5117f9be390f7eacfb79cf9cfc) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [Audacy](https://audacy.com/kywnewsradio/news/business/trump-white-house-millionaires-billionaires-appointees-212d2d5117f9be390f7eacfb79cf9cfc) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [Seattle Pi](https://seattlepi.com/business/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-a22391172) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [The Daily Sentinel](https://dailysentinel.com/anpa/us/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house/article_9c911f2f-b4fa-5dad-ae01-6f43445913e7.html) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel](https://gjsentinel.com/news/us/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house/article_5402b509-1516-5c7f-baaf-e1eba4fef3c1.html) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/business/2026/08/17/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/business/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows/article_9839de0c-240a-5014-8e0b-cc46b819f67f.html) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [The Record](https://therecord.com/business/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows/article_3c21d88d-acb0-5c5a-bf3e-8b400784c1c9.html) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/business/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows/article_d992fcd7-906f-5362-807d-31b677add75a.html) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/08/17/trump-dwarfs-his-predecessors-in-the-number-of-ultra-rich-in-his-second-white-house-report-shows) — Trump dwarfs his predecessors in the number of ultra-rich in his second White House, report shows ## Questions **How many officials in Trump’s administration are worth at least $100 million?** Public Citizen’s report states 57 officials in Donald Trump’s administration are worth at least $100 million. This includes 17 ambassadors and 40 senior officials across the executive branch, as reported by the Associated Press and Washington Top News. **How does this compare to previous administrations?** The number of ultra-rich officials in Trump’s administration is more than four times the combined total of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Bush and Biden each had five officials worth $100 million or more, while Obama had three, according to Public Citizen. **Which outlets reported on the story?** The story was reported by four left-rated outlets (Associated Press, Seattle Times, Seattle Pi, The Hamilton Spectator) and five centre-rated outlets (Washington Top News, Audacy, WKMG, The Record, Winnipeg Free Press). No right-rated outlet carried it, according to the reports below. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-has-57-officials-worth-at-least-100m-report-finds. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump administration has 57 officials worth at least $100m, report finds", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-has-57-officials-worth-at-least-100m-report-finds