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Senator Josh Hawley has defended his move to push for a congressional stock trading ban after criticism from President Donald Trump.
Some shit you should know before you read: Yesterday, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) led an effort to advance the HONEST Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress, the president, the vice president, and their spouses from buying, trading, or holding individual stocks while in office. The bill barely cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in an 8-7 vote, with Hawley as the only Republican voting alongside Democrats. President Donald Trump criticized the move in a Truth Social post, calling Hawley a “second-tier Senator” and accusing him of playing into Democratic hands.
What’s going on now: While speaking on Capitol Hill, Senator Hawley confirmed that he had a “good chat” with President Trump following the former president’s social media post calling him a “second-tier Senator” and a “pawn” of the Democrats. Hawley said the conversation was constructive and that Trump reiterated his support, in principle, for banning congressional stock trading. “He wants to see a ban on stock trading by people like Nancy Pelosi and members of Congress, which is what we passed today,” Hawley said in a Fox News interview. He also pushed back against claims that the legislation would force Trump to sell off his assets, clarifying that the bill’s divestment requirements would only apply to future presidents and vice presidents, not to those currently in office.
Hawley also defended the HONEST Act as a necessary step to combat public distrust in elected officials, saying that members of Congress should not be allowed to profit from non-public information gained through their positions. He highlighted his own ethical choices, pointing out that he had divested from individual stocks when he entered the Senate. “I don’t have individual stocks. I don’t trade in stock. I’m not a billionaire — unlike others on this committee,” he said, in a pointed remark that sparked visible tension among his Republican colleagues.
That comment led to criticism from fellow Republican Senator Rick Scott, one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, who said it was wrong to attack lawmakers simply for being successful. “I don’t know how many people in the audience, how many of you don’t want to make money. Anybody want to be poor? I don’t,” Scott said.
This all comes as public support for banning congressional stock trading remains high across the political spectrum. Polling consistently shows that a large majority of Americans (including both Republican and Democratic voters) believe lawmakers should be prohibited from trading individual stocks while in office.
