MSNBC’s Jen Psaki hit back at Eric Trump after he threatened both her and her network with a lawsuit over what he called “blatant lies.” According to The Daily Beast, Psaki responded to Trump on Friday’s The Briefing, addressing his claims directly on air.
It started when Eric Trump took to X to single out a clip from Psaki’s show that he would sue over. Trump claimed that Psaki and MSNBC had lied about him being a board member of ALT5 Sigma Corp., a Las Vegas-based fintech company. He insisted that he had “never been on the board of ALT5 – not now, not ever.”
Psaki had previously covered Trump accompanying his father, President Donald Trump, to Beijing, and cited a report on ALT5 Sigma Corp. that mentioned Trump as a board observer and advisor to the company. She then pulled out video evidence in her response to Trump.
Eric Trump’s role at ALT5 Sigma has shifted over time, but his family’s financial ties to the company remain significant
The MSNBC host said, “Today the adult son of the President of the United States, Eric Trump, came after us on social media and accused us of lying. You see, on Wednesday, we covered this story from the Financial Times, which reported that an AI company with ties to the Trump family crypto business was chasing a deal with a Chinese chip making company that members of Congress have warned, is connected to the Chinese Communist Party.”
Psaki presented footage of Trump being introduced as an “ALT5 board member” at the NASDAQ last summer, directly contradicting his claim that he had never been on the board. She then broke down how Trump’s role at ALT5 had become “complicated” in a short period of time. While Trump is no longer listed as a director on the board, he was initially announced as one.
His company, World Liberty Financial, also has a significant stake in ALT5 Sigma. World Liberty Financial received shares in ALT5 Sigma in exchange for $750 million worth of cryptocurrency tokens. Psaki described it as a larger deal overall, saying, “It was a one and a half billion dollar deal, a deal that involved the Trump family cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial receiving shares in ALT5 Sigma in exchange for $750 million worth of their crypto tokens.”
Psaki also noted that the deal meant Zach Witkoff, one of Eric Trump’s co-founders at World Liberty Financial and the son of Trump Middle East adviser Steve Witkoff, would become chairman of the ALT5 Sigma board.
She added, “It also meant that Zach Witkoff, one of Eric Trump’s co-founders at World Liberty Financial and the son of Trump Middle East adviser Steve Witkoff would become chairman of the ALT5 Sigma board.” This comes as Trump’s relationship with China continues to draw scrutiny – he has also stayed tight-lipped about commitments made to Xi during recent diplomatic engagements.
At the center of the controversy is the fact that ALT5 Sigma is seeking a deal with a Chinese computer chip manufacturer to build AI data centers. Members of Congress have warned about the potential risks tied to this, given the company’s alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
The Trump administration has also faced criticism on other fronts, with his EPA recently rolling back clean water protections for millions of Americans affecting drinking water tied to coal plant regulations. Psaki closed her response by addressing Eric Trump’s claim that he has no business interests in China and that he joined his father’s official trip there purely as a family member.
She said, “Eric, of course, says that he has no business interests in China at all, and that he joined his dad’s official trip there for one reason, and one reason alone, as a loving son who adores his dad. I’ll let you be the judge.”
Published: May 17, 2026 07:00 am