Trump’s Stock Purchases Prompt Ethics Concerns Over Potential Conflict of Interest

In early 2026 President Donald Trump bought up to $1 million of Nvidia, $100 k of AMD, and $150 k of Palantir stock. The Nvidia and AMD purchases came days before the administration cleared those chipmakers to sell processors to China, and the Palantir buy preceded a DHS contract for immigration enforcement. Trump’s May 14 Beijing visit included 17 U.S. CEOs, among them Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and was followed by new business for the firms. The administration has spent about $18 million on Trump-linked crypto coins, golf resorts and the Saudi-backed LIV golf league.

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Trump has urged Congress to ban stock trading by members, citing conflict-of-interest concerns. The White House counters that “everything Trump does is in the interest of the United States,” a claim under scrutiny.

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The Trump Organization told NOTUS that external managers handle the portfolio and that the president and his family do not influence the investments. The White House said the actions serve U.S. interests and declined comment.

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Jordan Libowitz of CREW warned trades amount to “by trading massive amounts of stock ahead of actions… Trump has become the sum of all corruption fears,” noting “the president has unilateral power that no member of Congress comes close to.”

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Trump Organization says it has no role in trades, while NOTUS links purchases to policy actions. No evidence ties Trump to the timing, and the White House has not released investment timelines, leaving a factual gap.

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• “By trading massive amounts of stock ahead of actions by his administration that would directly impact those stocks’ prices, Trump has essentially become the sum of all corruption fears: a president whose every action must be questioned whether it’s being made in his own financial self-interest,” — Jordan Libowitz, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

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• “The president has unilateral power that no member of Congress comes close to,” — Jordan Libowitz, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

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• “the president, his family and the organization itself don’t play a role in the investments and don’t receive notice of trading activity.” — Trump Organization spokesperson

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• “In the past, the White House has claimed, in response to articles about his use of the office to enrich himself, that everything Trump does is in the interest of the United States.” — White House spokesperson

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If a president can profit from policy, public trust in government impartiality may erode, prompting ethics investigations, congressional hearings or legal action. The case also tests the strength of existing conflict-of-interest safeguards for senior officials.

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CREW and other watchdogs plan to file complaints with the Office of Government Ethics. Congressional finance and foreign-affairs committees are expected to seek testimony on the trades and the China delegation’s outcomes.

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