President Donald Trump bought stock in 21 companies within a week before posting favorable messages about them on Truth Social, according to a review of his 2025 financial disclosure and his social media activity. The trades, at least 44 purchases, add to questions about conflicts of interest involving the president's business holdings and his public statements. The White House denied any conflict, saying the assets are managed by independent institutions.
Trades and Truths
Trump's 2025 financial disclosure listed more than 21,000 transactions, mostly stock purchases and sales reported in broad dollar ranges. One example: In April, Trump bought between $200,000 and $500,000 in Nvidia stock. Shortly after, he promoted the chipmaker's AI supercomputer plans and vowed to expedite permits. The pattern repeated across 21 companies. Trump also made 17 purchases of eight companies — including Comcast and Microsoft — before criticizing them on Truth Social.
Over the past year, Trump sent more than 6,000 Truth Social posts. In the same period, his managers made more than 20,000 stock purchases or sales. CNN found no evidence that Trump used posts to lift his own holdings; most trades had no matching Truth Social activity. But the timing of the 21 trades that did align sparked scrutiny.
Trust, Not Blind
Unlike recent presidents who used blind trusts to avoid conflicts, Trump uses a trust with his son Donald Trump Jr. as trustee. That structure allows Trump to know his holdings. A previous BBC probe flagged suspicious trades before Trump's market-moving statements. The White House maintains there's no issue. Spokesperson Anna Kelly said: 'President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public … There are no conflicts of interest.'
An API and a Deeper Conflict
Truth Social's API launches August 1, delivering top accounts' posts faster. Paying firms will be able to react to Trump's posts before the public. Trump Media, where his family is the largest shareholder, would benefit from the API. That could deepen the conflict of interest, as the president's social media activity directly affects his company's value.
The question now: Will the API's speed give Trump's own holdings an even bigger edge, or will regulators step in before the launch?
