President Trump on Wednesday went off on one his closest allies in Congress, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) over voting in committee on a bill that would ban stock trading by lawmakers, presidents and vice presidents, arguing that Hawley teamed up with Democrats to advance the measure.
The bill would ban congressional lawmakers and their spouses from trading stocks as well as presidents and vice presidents, but the latter would only apply to future administrations.
Still, Trump, in a social media post, went off on Hawley claiming that he was being used by Democrats to target the president. He also questioned Hawley being the lone Republican on the panel to vote with Democrats 8-7 to advance the bill out of committee.
“Why would one ‘Republican,’ Senator Josh Hawley from the Great State of Missouri, join with all of the Democrats to block a Review, sponsored by Senator Rick Scott, and with the support of almost all other Republicans, of Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Trading over the last 25 years. The information was inappropriately released just minutes before the Vote — Very much like SABOTAGE!” Trump said on Truth Social.
It was a change of tune from earlier in the day when Trump was asked what he thought of the bill, to which he replied he liked it “conceptually” before launching into an attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over unfounded claims of insider trading.
“I’ll take a look at it. But conceptually I like it,” Trump said. “And what I do think is Nancy Pelosi should be investigated because what she has the highest return of anybody practically in the history of Wall Street save a few. And how did that happen?”
Pelosi has come under attack from Republicans for stock trading done by her husband, though there is no evidence of wrongdoing. The former Speaker shortly after Trump’s remarks and the Senate Committee vote was taken expressed support for the measure.
Before the vote, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) pressed Hawley to work with him to improve the bill. But, Hawley and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) expanded the ban to apply to the president and vice president for future administration before the vote, while also opting to drop the name that referred to Pelosi from the bill name.
Trump, in lashing out at Hawley, said the Missouri Republican was playing into Democrats’ “dirty hands.”
“The Democrats, because of our tremendous ACHIEVEMENTS and SUCCESS, have been trying to ‘Target’ me for a long period of time, and they’re using Josh Hawley, who I got elected TWICE, as a pawn to help them,” he said. “I wonder why Hawley would pass a Bill that Nancy Pelosi is in absolute love with — He is playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats. It’s a great Bill for her, and her ‘husband,’ but so bad for our Country!”
“I don’t think real Republicans want to see their President, who has had unprecedented success, TARGETED, because of the ‘whims’ of a second-tier Senator named Josh Hawley!” he said.
Brett Samuels contributed to this report.
