President Donald Trump accumulated significant holdings in Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) before publicly endorsing the defense-focused artificial intelligence company.
Stock Purchases Raise Conflict-Of-Interest Questions
Records from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics show Trump purchased between roughly $247,000 and $630,000 worth of Palantir stock during the first quarter of 2026, including multiple March transactions totaling as much as $530,000.
Weeks later, Trump praised Palantir on Truth Social, calling its military technology battle-tested and effective.
“Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has proven to have great war fighting capabilities and equipment. Just ask our enemies!!! President DJT,” he wrote on social media at the time.
Palantir shares are down 21.76% over the past six months and 6.14% in the last month, according to Benzinga Pro.
Palantir posted first-quarter revenue of $1.63 billion, surpassing Wall Street expectations of $1.54 billion.
Trump Organization Denies Direct Control Over Stock Trades
Trump Organization representatives told CNBC that the president’s investments are managed through discretionary accounts overseen by independent financial institutions, noting that neither Trump nor his family directly controls specific trades.
White House officials similarly said Trump’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children and dismissed concerns about potential conflicts.
White House and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comments.
Palantir’s Growing Role In Defense And Trump’s Tech Investment Strategy
Palantir has become an increasingly influential player in U.S. military modernization, aligning closely with Trump’s defense priorities during his second term.
CEO Alex Karp has publicly supported stronger U.S. military capabilities, helping position the company as a major disruptor to legacy defense contractors.
Ethics filings also reveal Trump made sizable investments across other major technology and AI companies, including Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) and Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), underscoring his broad financial exposure to sectors directly affected by federal policy.
According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, PLTR is experiencing a bearish price trend across short, medium and long-term periods. Its Growth ranks in the 97th percentile.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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