AOC and prominent New York Democrats raise concerns about potential insider trading by Republicans

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is urging an inquiry into potential insider trading among members of Congress on the day that President Donald Trump caused stock prices to surge by halting his tariffs on imports worldwide. At the same time, she maintains her call for a prohibition on stock trading by legislators, in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest.

Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic figures have focused their scrutiny on the events of that Wednesday, starting with a social media message from the President at 9:37 a.m. in which he lauded the stock market, which had previously suffered significant losses following his tariff announcement on April 2. Trump’s post, reassuring investors to “BUY!!! DJT,” was followed by his announcement of a 90-day cessation of the reciprocal tariffs on most U.S. trading partners, leading to a substantial market rally. By the day’s end, the Dow Jones had gained almost 3000 points.

Expressing skepticism, Ocasio-Cortez implied that Trump’s actions were strategic, suggesting that his encouragement to buy stocks immediately before the tariff pause announcement was not merely coincidental. Given these developments, Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism extends beyond the House to the White House and the Republican Party’s practices.

The New York Congresswoman is now pressing the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to investigate whether information was discreetly shared with lawmakers regarding Trump’s intended policy reversal on tariffs. She has expressed eagerness to scrutinize legislators’ stock disclosures to ascertain if they had engaged in trading surrounding the White House’s pivot on tariffs. Ocasio-Cortez has also aligned with other lawmakers in urging Speaker Mike Johnson to promptly request the release of these stock disclosures.

Emphasizing the necessity of ethical conduct amongst lawmakers, Ocasio-Cortez finds this episode as a compelling case for prohibiting members of Congress from partaking in stock trading activities. The call for transparency and adherence to ethical standards within legislative bodies underlines her dedication to combatting corruption and ensuring that policymakers prioritize the public interest over personal financial gains.