David Edwards
June 3, 2026
RAW STORY
Senate Finance Committee/screen grab
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) put Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the hot seat Wednesday over President Donald Trump's unprecedented stock trading, demanding to know whether the White House should face the same scrutiny Bessent himself once said Congress deserved.
The exchange, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Trump's FY2027 budget, turned combative fast.
Warren opened by turning Bessent's own words against him — reminding the former hedge fund manager that he had previously said congressional traders posted returns so strong that "every hedge fund would be jealous of them," and that "if any private citizen traded that way, the SEC would be knocking on their door."
Trump's financial disclosures show he made more than 3,400 stock trades worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars in just the first three months of 2026 — roughly half of what all 535 members of Congress traded last year combined, she said.
Bessent insisted Congress should clean up its own act first.
"I think it's incumbent upon both houses of Congress to get their house in order before you move to the administrative branch," he said.
Warren didn't budge. "How about we get the White House in order at the same time?"
When Warren pressed Bessent on whether Trump's January 6 purchase of up to $1 million in Nvidia stock — one week before his administration loosened export controls allowing Nvidia to sell chips to China — warranted an SEC investigation, Bessent dodged again. "Get your house in order, Senator."
Warren fired back: "I don't trade in individual stocks. I don't own any individual stocks. My house is in order."
She also flagged Trump's purchases of what she described as tens of thousands of dollars' worth of Robinhood and BNY stock before his Treasury Department named both companies as partners in the new Trump Accounts program. Both stocks rose after the announcement.
Bessent wouldn't engage on whether trades made on inside information would be illegal or worth investigating.
Warren closed with a broadside. "Instead of draining the swamp, what Donald Trump is doing is he is enriching himself by taking advantage of his position," she said. "That is not public service."
Citing Shady Stock Trades, Warren Asks Bessent If SEC Should ‘Be Knocking on President Trump’s Door’
“Instead of draining the swamp, what Donald Trump is doing is he is enriching himself by taking advantage of his position,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “That is not public service.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on June 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Jake Johnson
Jun 03, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
US Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the suspiciously timed trading activity of President Donald Trump, pointing specifically to a large purchase of Nvidia stock just days before his administration approved a sale of the tech giant’s chips to China.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Warren (D-Mass.) asked Bessent—who has criticized lawmakers for trading stocks—whether he would be willing to hold his boss to the same standard. Last year, Bessent said that if any private citizen traded like members of Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “would be knocking on their door.”
Senate Finance Committee/screen grab
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) put Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the hot seat Wednesday over President Donald Trump's unprecedented stock trading, demanding to know whether the White House should face the same scrutiny Bessent himself once said Congress deserved.
The exchange, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Trump's FY2027 budget, turned combative fast.
Warren opened by turning Bessent's own words against him — reminding the former hedge fund manager that he had previously said congressional traders posted returns so strong that "every hedge fund would be jealous of them," and that "if any private citizen traded that way, the SEC would be knocking on their door."
Trump's financial disclosures show he made more than 3,400 stock trades worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars in just the first three months of 2026 — roughly half of what all 535 members of Congress traded last year combined, she said.
Bessent insisted Congress should clean up its own act first.
"I think it's incumbent upon both houses of Congress to get their house in order before you move to the administrative branch," he said.
Warren didn't budge. "How about we get the White House in order at the same time?"
When Warren pressed Bessent on whether Trump's January 6 purchase of up to $1 million in Nvidia stock — one week before his administration loosened export controls allowing Nvidia to sell chips to China — warranted an SEC investigation, Bessent dodged again. "Get your house in order, Senator."
Warren fired back: "I don't trade in individual stocks. I don't own any individual stocks. My house is in order."
She also flagged Trump's purchases of what she described as tens of thousands of dollars' worth of Robinhood and BNY stock before his Treasury Department named both companies as partners in the new Trump Accounts program. Both stocks rose after the announcement.
Bessent wouldn't engage on whether trades made on inside information would be illegal or worth investigating.
Warren closed with a broadside. "Instead of draining the swamp, what Donald Trump is doing is he is enriching himself by taking advantage of his position," she said. "That is not public service."
Citing Shady Stock Trades, Warren Asks Bessent If SEC Should ‘Be Knocking on President Trump’s Door’
“Instead of draining the swamp, what Donald Trump is doing is he is enriching himself by taking advantage of his position,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “That is not public service.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on June 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Jake Johnson
Jun 03, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
US Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the suspiciously timed trading activity of President Donald Trump, pointing specifically to a large purchase of Nvidia stock just days before his administration approved a sale of the tech giant’s chips to China.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Warren (D-Mass.) asked Bessent—who has criticized lawmakers for trading stocks—whether he would be willing to hold his boss to the same standard. Last year, Bessent said that if any private citizen traded like members of Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “would be knocking on their door.”
“Should the SEC be knocking on President Trump’s door?” Warren asked Bessent, who responded that the Massachusetts Democrat and her congressional colleagues should “lead by example.”
“I would like to see the president of the United States lead by example,” replied Warren, who supports a ban on congressional stock trading and does not own or trade stocks in individual companies. “Instead of draining the swamp, what Donald Trump is doing is he is enriching himself by taking advantage of his position. That is not public service. He’s the one who should lead by example.”
Watch the exchange:
Financial disclosures released last month show Trump made more than 3,600 trades during the first three months of 2026, purchasing shares in some companies that his administration is tasked with regulating.
“Many of these trades coincided with favorable regulatory decisions,” NOTUS reported. “Trump purchased $1 million to $5 million worth of Nvidia stock on February 10, only a week before Nvidia announced a major computer processing power deal with AI and social media giant Meta. Trump previously purchased $500,000 to $1 million worth of Nvidia stock on January 6, a week before the Commerce Department officially approved the sale of some Nvidia chips to China.”
In a video response response to the disclosures, Warren asked: “Was this insider trading? And what else is Trump doing to boost his own stock?”
“The American people deserve to know,” said Warren. “What Trump is doing should be illegal. It’s long past time that we ban the president and every single lawmaker in this country from trading in stocks. We need to end this corruption now.”
“I would like to see the president of the United States lead by example,” replied Warren, who supports a ban on congressional stock trading and does not own or trade stocks in individual companies. “Instead of draining the swamp, what Donald Trump is doing is he is enriching himself by taking advantage of his position. That is not public service. He’s the one who should lead by example.”
Watch the exchange:
Financial disclosures released last month show Trump made more than 3,600 trades during the first three months of 2026, purchasing shares in some companies that his administration is tasked with regulating.
“Many of these trades coincided with favorable regulatory decisions,” NOTUS reported. “Trump purchased $1 million to $5 million worth of Nvidia stock on February 10, only a week before Nvidia announced a major computer processing power deal with AI and social media giant Meta. Trump previously purchased $500,000 to $1 million worth of Nvidia stock on January 6, a week before the Commerce Department officially approved the sale of some Nvidia chips to China.”
In a video response response to the disclosures, Warren asked: “Was this insider trading? And what else is Trump doing to boost his own stock?”
“The American people deserve to know,” said Warren. “What Trump is doing should be illegal. It’s long past time that we ban the president and every single lawmaker in this country from trading in stocks. We need to end this corruption now.”
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