The US president has accused the former House speaker of making illegal profits as Congress mulls a ban on stock trading by officials
US President Donald Trump has accused former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of insider trading in a renewed attack on one of his fiercest critics.
The allegation comes amid a fresh push in Congress to bar elected officials from trading individual stocks. Originally dubbed the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act, the bill would apply to lawmakers as well as the president and vice president.
“Nancy Pelosi became rich by having insider information… I think Nancy Pelosi should be investigated!” Trump said on Wednesday. He added the 84-year-old “has the highest return of anybody, practically in the history of Wall Street, save a few,” claiming that “she knows exactly what’s gonna happen.”
Pelosi, one of the most influential American politicians and one of the wealthiest members of Congress, has long been the focus of financial scrutiny due to her high-profile trades and public wealth. According to Investopedia estimates, the Democrat’s net worth stands at over $240 million, based on tech stock holdings (e.g. Nvidia, Apple) and real estate assets. Her stock portfolio has returned over 700% since 2014.
Trump leveled the same accusation last year, after Pelosi’s husband, venture capitalist Paul Pelosi, sold Visa shares worth approximately $500,000 to $1 million. The sale occurred shortly before the US Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit accusing Visa of illegally monopolizing the debit card market.
In a TV interview on Thursday, Pelosi dismissed Trump’s claim as “ridiculous,” saying that the “the obvious investments” made by her husband are not “anything to do with anything insider.” She went on to accuse Trump of deflecting criticism by projecting his traits onto others.
Pelosi, who served as House speaker twice (2007-2011 and 2019-2023), is among the fiercest critics of Trump. She has called him a “snake-oil salesman” and “the creature from the Black Lagoon,” and led Democratic efforts during impeachment proceedings against Trump during his previous term.
Trump railed against Pelosi during his campaign last year, calling her an “evil, sick, crazy, horrible human being” and “trouble for our country,” and branding her America’s “enemy from within.”
