National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett laughed when asked about Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) allegation that President Donald Trump engaged in insider trading after his reversal on tariffs.
While Booker did not mention evidence, the senator alluded that the White House could have been giving insider information to stockholders before Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs that were meant to begin last week. While the tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China continue, the other 83 countries let out a collective sigh of relief while the markets improved after a six-week slump.
“There was no insider trading at the White House,” Hassett said, laughing on Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria. “But I can say that when there are big movements in markets, there are people around town that investigate and make sure nothing funny is happening. The issues will be investigated by right officials but I am sure not anything to do with the White House. But there were big movements. Whenever big movements like that it’s important to have the right people investigating what was going on around those movements.”
This followed Booker’s interview on NBC News’s Meet the Press Sunday, in which he criticized Trump’s “chaotic” method of unveiling the tariffs and then reversing them.
“There is enough of an offense here; there’s enough smoke here that should demand congressional hearings,” Booker said. “Not to have hearings, not to do any kind of oversight, undermines the faith we have in our government, undermines the trust we need in our nation right now.”
BOOKER DEMANDS CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS INTO POSSIBLE INSIDER TRADING OVER TARIFFS
Two respective bills in the House and the Senate are slated to restore tariff power to Congress. At the moment, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO), and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) sponsor the House Trade Review Act of 2025. Bacon told the Washington Examiner that the bill is supported by 10 more Republican members of Congress, which is more than the slim majority Republicans have in the House.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed “every Democrat” is behind the respective bill in the Senate.