The most hilariously incorrect things The Washington Post found in Trump financial statements


A month after Michael Cohen testified that President Trump frequently inflated his wealth as a businessman, The Washington Post has obtained financial statements it says are full of obvious exaggerations and misstatements.
The Post on Thursday obtained some "Statements of Financial Condition" Trump provided to lenders and investors as a businessman from 2002 through 2013. Here are some of the key details from the report:
1. In one statement, Trump allegedly claimed he had 55 home lots for sale at his golf club, when in fact he only had 31 lots available. The difference is the equivalent of $72 million in future revenue, the Post says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2. Trump allegedly described Trump Tower as a "68 story bronze glass structure," even though Trump Tower only has 58 stories.
3. Trump reportedly claimed to own a 2,000-acre vineyard, even though the vineyard in question is only 1,200 acres.
4. Trump reportedly claimed an estate he owned was valued at $261 million, when local assessors actually valued it at about $20 million. He apparently got to this inflated number based on homes he didn't officially have approval to build.
5. Trump intentionally did not include information about two buildings he owns in one statement so that "readers can't get a full picture of how much he owes, and to whom," the Post writes.
6. Trump in on document claimed that his net worth was $8.6 billion because his "brand value" is worth $4 billion. This was not present in previous statements, the Post says.
7. The report raised questions about whether Trump may have committed fraud with these statements, with George Conway, Kellyanne Conway's husband, writing on Twitter, "people go to prison for things like this."
8. One expert told the Post, however, that disclaimers Trump's accountants provided along with statements might put him in the clear, also arguing the records being so obviously ridiculous and incorrect could actually work in Trump's favor. After all, they're so "humorous" that he wondered if anyone could have possibly believed them anyway.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
How will Wall Street react to the Trump-Powell showdown?
Today's Big Question 'Market turmoil' seems likely
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Google ruled a monopoly over ad tech dominance
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the ruling as a 'landmark victory in the ongoing fight to stop Google from monopolizing the digital public square'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador's CECOT prison becomes Washington's go-to destination
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republicans and Democrats alike are clamoring for access to the Trump administration's extrajudicial deportation camp — for very different reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US