President Donald Trump just threw a haymaker at Sen. Josh Hawley, branding him a “second-tier” senator for pushing a stock trading ban that’s ruffling GOP feathers. His jab came after Hawley’s bill, the Honest Act, cleared a Senate committee hurdle with bipartisan support, as the Associated Press reports. The MAGA base isn’t thrilled, seeing this as a swipe at Trump’s financial freedom.
Trump’s ire targets Hawley’s legislation, co-crafted with Democrat Senator Gary Peters, which bans stock trading for Congress, the president, vice president, and their spouses. The bill advanced in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, despite GOP pushback. It’s a bold move, but conservatives smell a progressive plot to hamstring successful leaders.
Hawley, aligning with Democrats, blocked GOP amendments that would’ve shielded the president and vice president from the ban. He also nixed a proposal to probe stock trades linked to Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s family. That’s a curious alliance for a supposed Republican, raising eyebrows among Trump loyalists.
“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!” Trump roared. His words resonate with conservatives who view the bill as a veiled attack on his business acumen. Hawley’s crusade seems more about headlines than principle.
The Honest Act, if passed, would bar elected officials from buying stocks immediately and selling within 90 days. Divestment from all covered investments wouldn’t kick in until the next term, conveniently sparing Trump for now. Still, the MAGA crowd sees this as government overreach dressed up as ethics reform.
Hawley’s earlier proposal was narrower, targeting only lawmakers’ stock trades. This broader version, cozying up to Democrats, feels like a betrayal to some Republicans. It’s as if Hawley’s forgotten who fuels the GOP’s fire.
“We have an opportunity here today to do something that the public has wanted to do for decades,” Hawley declared, touting the bill as a blow against congressional profiteering. Nice rhetoric, but conservatives argue it’s a distraction from real issues like border security or inflation. Hawley’s grandstanding plays right into the left’s hands.
Stock trading by lawmakers has long been a sore spot, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, when some traded on early health crisis intel. Insider trading laws don’t always cover what lawmakers know, but is Hawley’s fix just performative? Many in the GOP think so.
Peters crowed, “We are one step closer to getting this bill passed into law and finally barring bad actors from taking advantage of their positions for their own financial gain.” Sounds noble, but conservatives suspect it’s a setup to kneecap GOP heavyweights. The left’s applause for Hawley’s bill is telling.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott pushed amendments to exempt the president and vice president and to scrutinize Pelosi’s family trades, both shot down by Hawley and Democrats. Paul Pelosi’s trades are a Wall Street spectacle, yet Nancy’s office insists she owns no stock. That dodge doesn’t pass the smell test for many conservatives.
“The American people deserve confidence that their elected leaders are serving the public interest -- not their personal portfolios,” Pelosi chimed in, backing the bill. Her sudden enthusiasm for reform feels like a convenient pivot. The MAGA base isn’t buying her sanctimonious act.
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson slammed the bill as “legislative demagoguery,” arguing existing insider trading laws and disclosures suffice. “We do have insider trading laws. Trust me, we have financial disclosure,” he said. To conservatives, Johnson is right: Why fix what isn’t broken?
Trump’s not just mad at Hawley; he also called out Sen. Chuck Grassley over the Senate’s “blue slip” custom for judge nominations. Grassley, a GOP veteran since 1980, fired back, saying he was “offended” by Trump’s demand to “step up.” The MAGA faithful see Trump’s frustration as a call to shake up a complacent Senate.
“Senator Grassley must step up,” Trump insisted, signaling no patience for GOP foot-dragging. His base cheers the tough talk, tired of establishment Republicans slowing the America First agenda. Grassley’s hurt feelings won’t sway them.
An earlier GOP bill, dubbed the Pelosi Act, took a narrower aim at lawmakers’ trades, avoiding the broad sweep of Hawley’s plan. That bill’s focus made sense to conservatives who want reform without handcuffing the executive branch. Hawley’s overreach, they argue, risks alienating the very voters who put him in office.
