Former President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, over his support for a bipartisan bill to ban stock trading by members of Congress and the executive branch, accusing Hawley of betraying his party and aiding Democratic efforts to undermine him.
The legislation, which cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in an 8–7 vote, includes a provision—authored by Hawley and Sen. Gary Peters, from Michigan—that would bar lawmakers, presidents, vice presidents, and their spouses from buying or selling individual stocks while in office. Hawley was the sole Republican to vote with Democrats in advancing the bill.
Taking to Truth Social shortly after the vote, Trump accused Hawley of serving as a “pawn” for Democrats. “Why would one ‘Republican,’ Senator Josh Hawley from the Great State of Missouri, join with all of the Democrats to block a Review, sponsored by Senator Rick Scott, and with the support of almost all other Republicans, of Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Trading over the last 25 years?” Trump wrote. “The information was inappropriately released just minutes before the Vote — Very much like SABOTAGE!”
Trump, who endorsed Hawley during his 2018 Senate run and backed him again in 2024, suggested the senator had turned on him. “The Democrats, because of our tremendous ACHIEVEMENTS and SUCCESS, have been trying to ‘Target’ me for a long period of time,” Trump wrote, “and they’re using Josh Hawley, who I got elected TWICE, as a pawn to help them.”
In his statement, Trump questioned why Hawley would support a bill that he claimed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi “is in absolute love with.” “It’s a great Bill for her, and her ‘husband,’ but so bad for our Country!” he wrote.
According to The Hill, earlier in the day, Trump had offered tepid support for the concept of a trading ban, telling reporters, “I’ll take a look at it. But conceptually I like it.” He then pivoted to his familiar critique of Pelosi, alleging—without evidence—that she and her husband had profited suspiciously from stock trades. “Nancy Pelosi should be investigated,” he said. “She has the highest return of anybody practically in the history of Wall Street save a few. And how did that happen?”
Despite the bill’s removal of Pelosi’s name from its title—part of a compromise Hawley negotiated with Peters—Trump framed the legislation as a Democratic trap and warned Republicans not to be complicit in what he sees as a broader effort to derail his political comeback.
Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, who had advanced an alternative measure focused specifically on congressional trading, had urged Hawley to delay the vote and collaborate on revisions. Hawley declined and instead moved forward with the bipartisan amendment package.
Pelosi, one of the greatest stock traders in history, issued a brief statement expressing support for the bill following the committee vote.
