XRP took center stage early on Sunday, March 2, when President Donald Trump, posting to Truth Social, urged creation of a “ Strategic CryptoReserve” that would hold the token alongside Solana and Cardano—only to learn hours later that the move had quietly advanced the interests of Ripple Labs, a paying client of lobbyist Brian Ballard, and left the president feeling, as one aide put it, “played.”
“A US Crypto Reserve will elevate this critical industry after years of corrupt attacks by the Biden Administration, which is why my Executive Order on Digital Assets directed the Presidential Working Group to move forward on a Crypto Strategic Reserve that includes XRP, SOL, and ADA. I will make sure the US is the Crypto Capital of the World. We are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Moments later, West Wing officials realized Ripple sat on Ballard’s roster, provoking immediate anger. “He felt like he’d been used,” two officials familiar with the reaction said. Trump vented, “He is not welcome in anything anymore,” effectively freezing Ballard out of White House meetings.
Wiles tracked the prompt back to Ballard’s employee, and a senior aide blasted the lobbyist by phone for “hawking his client.” Staff instructions soon followed: no more meetings with Ballard.
Ballard insisted to Politico that talk of a freeze is exaggerated: “We are accustomed to false accusations … despite these unnamed sources, Ballard Partners will continue to deliver results.” He cited post-incident fundraiser invitations and a scheduled call with a senior official as proof he is not persona non grata. Yet several of his clients have quietly approached other Trump allies to secure face time—an implicit acknowledgment that access now comes at a premium.
At press time, XRP traded at $2.29.
