Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) accused President Donald Trump of engaging in extensive stock trading while making policy decisions that could affect the same companies, calling the conduct “corrupt” and urging a ban on stock trading by top federal officials.
Kelly Calls Trump Trades ‘Corrupt‘
On Tuesday, in a post on X, Kelly alleged that the president executed “thousands of stock trades” in a recent quarter while also taking actions tied to corporate interests.
“The President just made thousands of stock trades — and then he turned around and made decisions that shifted those companies’ bottom lines,” Kelly wrote.
He added, “It’s corrupt and we need to end it.”
In a video clip shared alongside the post, Kelly broadened his criticism to members of Congress and senior officials, saying some are “clearly trading on information they have” that is not yet public.
“The kind of information they have is way before the public ever sees certain things,” he said.
He added, “We should not be allowed to do that. The vice president and members of the cabinet should be banned.”
Kelly also argued that officials may be benefiting financially from policy decisions, adding that Americans do not have access to the same informational advantages.
White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Trump Critics Target Corruption Claims
Earlier, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed legislation previously known as the PELOSI Act despite past scrutiny over stock trades made by her husband, Paul Pelosi.
The debate over congressional stock trading continued as lawmakers from both parties faced criticism for trading activities and disclosure violations under the STOCK Act.
Separately, financier Anthony Scaramucci accused President Trump of enabling insider trading, questionable cryptocurrency ventures, donor-linked contracts and paid pardons.
He argued that the alleged conduct exposed weaknesses in government oversight and highlighted the need for reforms.
Author Stephen King and Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) also criticized the Trump administration over the surrounding alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Their comments followed the arrest of former Olympic canoe slalom athlete Casey Hearn, who denied damaging government property and said he merely touched an already loose section of the pool’s liner.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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