Hawley’s Stock Ban Bill Triggers Trump Backlash

Hawley’s Stock Ban Bill Triggers Trump Backlash \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Trump lashed out at Sen. Josh Hawley after his stock trading ban bill advanced in committee. Hawley joined Democrats to block amendments shielding Trump from the legislation. The Honest Act targets stock trading by lawmakers and top officials, including the president.

Quick Looks

• Trump criticized Hawley for advancing a stock ban bill covering Congress and the presidency
• The Honest Act bans elected officials and spouses from trading stock
• Hawley worked with Democrat Sen. Gary Peters to push the bill
• Trump called Hawley a “second-tier Senator” for joining Democrats
• A GOP amendment to exempt the president failed
• Amendment targeting Pelosi’s family stock trades also failed
• Pelosi backs the bill, says it boosts public trust
• Trump also criticized Grassley over Senate nomination procedures
• Sen. Ron Johnson called the bill “legislative demagoguery”
• Hawley has not responded to Trump’s latest attack

Deep Look

President Donald Trump publicly blasted Sen. Josh Hawley on Wednesday after a Senate committee advanced bipartisan legislation that would ban stock trading by members of Congress, the president, and the vice president. Hawley’s key support for the bill—which passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee—sparked fury from the president, who called the Missouri Republican a “second-tier Senator” and accused him of enabling Democrats.

“I don’t think real Republicans want to see their President, who has had unprecedented success, TARGETED because of the ‘whims’ of a second-tier Senator named Josh Hawley!” Trump posted on social media.

Trump’s anger came just a day after he similarly lashed out at Sen. Chuck Grassley over Senate procedures related to judicial nominations, marking back-to-back attacks on Republicans he sees as insufficiently loyal.

At the center of Trump’s latest outburst is the Honest Act, co-authored by Hawley and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). The legislation would bar members of Congress, the president, the vice president, and their spouses from holding, buying, or selling stocks. It also calls for divestment at the start of the next term in office, a provision that would shield Trump during his current presidency but still apply to future terms.

Hawley previously proposed similar legislation focused solely on lawmakers, but this updated bill broadens its scope significantly. During the committee meeting, Hawley said, “We have an opportunity here today to do something the public has wanted for decades—to ban members of Congress from profiting on information that frankly only members of Congress have.”

The vote triggered heated debate within the GOP ranks. While some Republicans had been negotiating with the White House to carve out an exemption for the president, that effort failed. Hawley sided with Democrats in blocking a proposed amendment from Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) that would have exempted the president, vice president, and their families.

Hawley also joined Democrats in defeating another GOP-backed amendment that would have mandated a report on the stock trading activities of Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi. Republicans have often highlighted Paul Pelosi’s stock trades as suspect, though Pelosi’s office maintains she personally owns no stocks.

Hawley has yet to respond to Trump’s public rebuke, but the Missouri senator’s alignment with Democrats on this bill sends a strong message: he’s willing to defy the president when it comes to issues of public accountability.

Meanwhile, Pelosi welcomed the legislation, stating, “The American people deserve confidence that their elected leaders are serving the public interest — not their personal portfolios.” She also acknowledged the irony of the earlier version of the legislation, which Republicans had dubbed the “Pelosi Act.”

Sen. Gary Peters, the committee’s top Democrat, hailed the committee’s bipartisan approval as a major step forward. “We are one step closer to getting this bill passed into law and finally barring bad actors from taking advantage of their positions for their own financial gain,” he said.

But not all Republicans were on board. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) slammed the bill as “legislative demagoguery,” claiming existing financial disclosure laws and insider trading restrictions are already sufficient. “Trust me, we have financial disclosure,” he added.

The bill, if enacted, would immediately prohibit stock purchases by covered officials and ban stock sales for 90 days after enactment. The divestment requirement kicks in at the start of the next term, sparing Trump from immediate financial obligations.

The stock trading practices of public officials have long sparked criticism, especially after revelations during the COVID-19 pandemic that some lawmakers traded stocks based on early, nonpublic information. Although insider trading laws exist, they don’t always cover the nuanced intelligence lawmakers receive through committee briefings or classified sessions.

Trump’s broader frustration with Senate Republicans boiled over further this week when he targeted Sen. Chuck Grassley, a powerful and long-serving senator, for defending the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition in judicial nominations. Trump demanded Grassley abandon the bipartisan custom, claiming he helped secure the Iowan’s reelection. Grassley responded that he was “offended” by the president’s remarks.

This latest feud underscores growing tension between Trump and Senate Republicans, as the president pushes increasingly aggressive policies and tactics, expecting full party loyalty in return.

With public trust in Congress at a historic low, the Honest Act’s progress shows rare bipartisan traction—but whether it will survive the full Senate and a potential Trump veto remains to be seen.

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