Trump Still Actively Trading Stocks While President as Wealth Rises Sharply
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KOMPAS.com - United States President Donald Trump has again drawn scrutiny after a new report to the federal ethics office showing him actively trading stocks in large volumes during the first quarter of 2026.
The report shows more than 3,600 stock buy and sell transactions carried out in just the first three months of this year.
Many of the trades involve companies whose businesses could be directly affected by US government policy.
Because of the activity, some observers have begun to refer to Trump as the “Chief Trader.”
One of Trump’s largest transactions was an investment of up to $6 million, or about Rp 106.2 billion, at Nvidia, the chipmaker, at an exchange rate of Rp 17,705 per US dollar.
Earlier, the US government had approved Nvidia to sell advanced chips to China, a decision that could directly affect the company’s performance.
Trump’s portfolio also includes shares in defence primes such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman.
These companies have benefited from rising military demand amid the Iran conflict.
“If he were the defence secretary, he would be committing a crime,” said Richard Painter, a former White House ethics adviser under President George W. Bush.
“Technically he could do this, but it would breach fundamental trust,” he added.
US federal rules prohibit government officials from owning investments that could be influenced by their policy decisions. The provision does not apply to the president.
A Trump family business spokesperson, Kimberly Benza, said the entire presidential investment portfolio is managed by independent third parties.
She said Trump and his family do not decide on, direct, or approve investments.
“Neither President Trump, his family, nor the Trump Organisation has a role in selecting, directing, or approving specific investments,” Benza said.
“They do not receive prior notification of trading activity and do not provide input on investment decisions or portfolio management,” she added.
Nevertheless, ethics experts still view the situation as problematic.
They argue that the president’s knowledge of ownership of private assets could influence public policy, from government contracts to war decisions.