Republicans will foreground a congressional ban on members buying individual stocks at their midterm convention, even as the president’s personal accounts report heavy trading activity. Party strategists plan to highlight the measure during the Dallas opening day session focused on Government Integrity, with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna among at least two speakers expected to press restrictions on lawmakers’ stock trades.
The House passed the Stop Insider Trading Act in July by a 232-198 vote. The bill would bar members of Congress from purchasing individual stocks while they hold office, though it would let them keep existing positions and sell shares if they publicly disclose that intent at least seven days beforehand. The proposed restrictions would not apply to the president.
Those limits give Republicans a concrete anti-corruption talking point, but the contradiction between the bill’s reach and the president’s portfolio is stark. Since returning to office, the president reported at least $858 million in assets across eight accounts and more than 21,000 trades in 2025. By comparison, his first term included roughly 500 reported transactions. One month alone, June, showed 1,051 transactions valued between $78.1 million and $263.1 million.
The filings list purchases and sales of stocks, bonds and exchange-traded funds, including multimillion-dollar moves in Meta, Berkshire Hathaway, Visa and Mastercard, and as much as $50,000 in newly public SpaceX shares. The president’s nine largest disclosed oil and gas holdings are estimated to have risen by about $1.5 million to $4.4 million from the eve of the Iran war through Aug. 31, and his accounts continued trading energy stocks during the conflict.
Reviewers found no evidence that the president directed trades, acted on advance knowledge of government decisions or shaped policy to benefit his investments. The Trump Organization says, "outside financial institutions have full discretion over investment decisions and rely heavily on automated strategies." The White House maintains the president "cannot direct individual transactions" and that "there are no conflicts of interest." Critics say the House bill still leaves conflicts in place. "It's a stock trading ban that still allows stock trading," Representative Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said of the measure.
The convention will test whether Republicans can convert the legislative win into persuasive messaging, while the limits of the House bill and the president’s continued trading are likely to sharpen political debate through the midterms.
