Members of Congress traded closely in April as President Trump’s tariff rollout hit the inventory market — and among the most energetic merchants had been vocal proponents of stock-trading bans, in response to public filings.
Greater than a dozen Home lawmakers and their members of the family revamped 700 inventory trades from April 2 to April 8 as Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs spooked buyers and brought on sharp market swings, in response to a Wall Road Journal evaluation of disclosure filings launched Tuesday.
US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who has beforehand known as for buying and selling bans, led the pack with gross sales of greater than 200 shares and choices and the acquisition of greater than 110 securities, the evaluation discovered.
The Silicon Valley congressman stated the trades had been made by outdoors advisers who handle trusts for his spouse and kids. These trusts’ securities have truly dropped in worth since April 2, in response to his workplace.
Khanna — who lately known as on the left to rethink Elon Musk and has spurred murmurs of a possible White Home marketing campaign – informed the Journal he’s more likely to assist stock-trading restrictions proposed by a bipartisan group of Home lawmakers.
Requested a couple of potential White Home marketing campaign, a spokesperson for Khanna informed The Put up he’s “focused on winning back the House.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who has stated she doesn’t commerce particular person inventory, and several other different Congress members are engaged on a invoice to additional prohibit stock-trading by lawmakers.
Former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi has confronted criticism for her inventory buying and selling exercise — racking up a 65% return on her portfolio in 2023 whereas her enterprise capitalist husband made $38 million value of inventory trades within the weeks main as much as Trump’s inauguration.
There’s an account on X with 1.1 million followers wholly dedicate to monitoring her investments.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R – Ga.) has lately taken warmth for buying at the very least $28,000 value of shares in companies like FedEx, Amazon, Lululemon and Palantir in April after Trump unveiled steep tariffs.
She was the sixth most energetic dealer within the Home through the week of Trump’s tariffs, in response to the Journal’s evaluation.
Greene made one sale transaction throughout the identical interval, unloading at the very least $50,000 in US Treasury payments earlier than Trump introduced the tariffs pause, in response to the Journal.
All the congresswoman’s investments are “reported with full transparency” and managed by an out of doors monetary adviser, Greene informed The Put up in an announcement.
Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R – Pa.) trailed Khanna because the second most energetic dealer throughout that week with gross sales of greater than 100 shares and choices and the acquisition of fewer than 100 securities, in response to the Journal’s evaluation.
A spokesperson for Bresnahan informed the Journal his trades had been made by an out of doors monetary adviser and executed with out his data. Bresnahan didn’t instantly reply to The Put up’s requests for remark.
Rep. Julie Johnson (D – Texas) took the fourth spot, making 56 inventory gross sales two days earlier than Trump paused the tariffs – so she missed out available on the market rally, the Journal’s evaluation discovered. Some 53 of these shares later rose.
A spokesperson for Johnson informed The Put up she is within the means of divesting her shares, that are managed by an unbiased monetary adviser, into ETFs and mutual funds.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D – Fla.) – who has signed a invoice that may prohibit buying and selling – made 23 inventory purchases of at the very least $1,000 every in firms like Amazon, Nvidia and Visa through the market droop. At the very least 20 of these shares have risen since then, in response to the Journal.
He made two gross sales of at the very least $1,000 throughout the identical interval.
The trades had been made by a monetary supervisor who doesn’t contain Moskowitz, a spokesperson informed The Put up.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D – NJ) tapped a name choices commerce tied to Microsoft – a a lot riskier commerce – throughout the identical tumultuous interval.
