Members of Congress and their families made nearly 1,900 stock trades in April, with a large spike following former President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement dubbed “Liberation Day.”
According to a Wall Street Journal study, House lawmakers reported 1,865 trades last month—the highest since January 2024. More than 700 trades occurred between April 2, when Trump announced the tariffs, and April 8, when he paused them.
Notably, Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), both supporters of banning stock trading by lawmakers, led in transaction volume. They said their trades were handled by outside financial advisors.
During this period, the stock market reacted sharply. The S&P 500 dropped over 4.5% in two sessions after the tariff news, while the Nasdaq surged 12% after the tariffs were paused—the biggest gain in 24 years.
Disclosure rules for congressional stock trades remain vague, making it unclear whether lawmakers profited. However, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) bought stocks early in April and likely benefited from the market rebound.
Greene invested about $28,000 in companies including FedEx, Amazon, and Palantir Technologies. Moskowitz made 23 purchases of at least $1,000 each in firms like Amazon, Nvidia, and Visa.
The surge in trades has intensified calls for reform. Several bills, including the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, have been introduced to require lawmakers and their families to place stocks in blind trusts or divest holdings.
Support for banning individual stock trading by members of Congress is strong among the public, with polls showing about 86% approval. Critics argue that current laws, like the STOCK Act, lack enforcement and meaningful penalties, allowing lawmakers to potentially profit from insider knowledge.
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