10-Q, Member Exclusive

Trump’s Finance Focus: Fintech leaders now in government spotlight

  • We look at Donald Trump's newest team members, who operate at the tricky intersection of finance and politics.
  • The year ahead, with Senate approval pending, will determine the outcome of Trump's strategy of integrating financial leaders into key government positions.
close

Email a Friend

Trump’s Finance Focus: Fintech leaders now in government spotlight

    Finance and politics — the perfect storm of power and policy



    The dust is settling, and the nation is slowly adjusting to the idea of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Although he won’t officially assume office until January 20, 2025, his goals and plans are already emerging at a brisk pace via Truth Social, dropping occasional curveballs to the public — in classic Trump fashion.

    Last month, we explored the key cause-and-effect dynamics that could shape the banking sector under Trump’s second presidency. This week, our spotlight shifts to his newest team members, who operate at the tricky intersection of finance and politics.

    In November, Trump made headlines with one of his first appointments: Matt Gaetz, a lawyer and politician, to lead the Justice Department. The decision sent shockwaves through the financial sector, as Gaetz’s controversial history — highlighted by a federal investigation into allegations of sex trafficking (which ultimately did not result in charges) — added a layer of unpredictability to Trump’s prospective tenure.

    More recently, the newly elected 47th President, tapped some seasoned financial leaders to oversee pivotal roles in his government, signaling his strong intent to weave financial expertise into the fabric of his administration.

    Financial heavyweights ready to step into key roles within Trump’s administration include:


    subscription wall for TS Pro

    0 comments on “Trump’s Finance Focus: Fintech leaders now in government spotlight”

    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Consumer banking is back in focus – and looks nothing like 2019

    • Major US banks are reconfiguring their consumer banking businesses in different ways.
    • The renewed focus on consumer banking isn’t tech-driven. It reflects a shift toward capital-light touchpoints that become gateways to advice, wealth, and capital allocation.
    Sara Khairi | April 13, 2026
    Banking, Member Exclusive

    For U.S. Bank, embedded finance was step one. The self-reinforcing model is step two.

    • U.S. Bank is focusing on three levers: speed of integration, intelligence of response, and depth of embedding in decision flows.
    • The strategy sets up a self-sustaining cycle: usage grows from integration, data flows from usage, and products evolve in near real time.
    Sara Khairi | April 09, 2026
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    The work beneath the work: How J.P. Morgan, BofA, U.S. Bank, and Citi are rebuilding their internal systems

    • Four big bank developments dominated headlines this week: one focused on small businesses, two on AI innovation, and one quashing an acquisition rumor.
    • These moves suggest the largest US banks are reorganizing around a thesis: identifying where value is now created and how distant they are from fully internalizing it.
    Sara Khairi | April 06, 2026
    Banking, Data, Member Exclusive

    What a bank-client relationship looks like when banks control the data behind the UX

    • Client–bank relationships have long revolved around a destination model: clients log in, navigate dashboards, export data, assemble insights. Grasshopper Bank is rewriting that dynamic by moving from a destination to a ‘layer’.
    • The digital bank has launched its MCP server to bridge a critical gap: letting clients use modern AI tools with their financial data without sacrificing banking security or control.
    Sara Khairi | April 02, 2026
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    PayPal doesn’t have a growth problem – it has a positioning problem

    • At a time when payment winners must command either infrastructure or interface, PayPal is awkwardly positioned between the two.
    • The questions now are: Where does PayPal sit in the payments ecosystem, and does that position still matter? What unique role does it play in a stack that increasingly bypasses middle layers?
    Sara Khairi | March 30, 2026
    More Articles