Trump Criticizes Hawley Over Stock Trading Ban Amid Mar-a-Lago Sale Claims

President Donald Trump criticized Senator Josh Hawley for supporting legislation that would ban elected officials, including the president, from trading stocks, mistakenly believing it would force him to sell his Mar-a-Lago property. Hawley, a Republican ally, clarified that the bill exempts such assets and only requires officials to divest stock holdings at the start of their next term. Despite Trump's initial harsh remarks calling Hawley a “second-tier” senator and accusing him of aiding Democrats, the two spoke by phone, and Trump acknowledged the misunderstanding and expressed support for a stock-trading ban. The legislation passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with bipartisan backing but faced opposition from some Republicans who wanted the bill to also apply to Trump or investigate Nancy Pelosi’s stock trading. Hawley remains the only Republican senator who supported the bill, which aims to prevent conflicts of interest by barring stock trades by members of Congress, the president, and vice president. The bill’s passage reflects growing bipartisan concern over stock trading by public officials and its potential ethical implications.