Sen. Cory Booker Says 'Enough Smoke' For Hearings As Democrats Demand Probe Into Possible Insider Trading Linked To Trump's Tariff Flip

Sen. Cory Booker on Sunday joined a rising chorus of Democratic lawmakers urging congressional hearings into possible insider trading connected with former President Donald Trump's sudden tariff reversal.

Their apprehensions follow Trump's Truth Social post encouraging stock purchases immediately before announcing a 90-day tariff pause that caused markets to soar.

What Happened: During an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, Booker argued that the timing of Trump's post and ensuing policy reversal raised serious red flags. "There is enough of an offense here, there's enough smoke here that should demand congressional hearings," he said.

Rep. Adam Schiff and Sen. Elizabeth Warren had earlier sounded the alarm after Trump's all-caps message — "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT" — was posted only hours before the market rally, which witnessed the Nasdaq rise nearly 12% and the S&P 500 jump 9.5%.

"It sure looks like corruption," Warren said, while Schiff asked, "Is Donald Trump's inner circle illegally profiting off of these huge swings in the stock market by insider trading?"

See Also: SPY, QQQ Call Volumes Spiked Minutes Before Tariff Pause Announcement: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Demands Disclosure From Congress Members

Why It Matters: At the heart of the controversy is whether Trump or his associates profited from the market movement prompted by his tariff announcement.

Trump Media & Technology Group DJT, in which Trump holds a 52.9% stake, made 21.7% gains on that day, adding approximately $410 million to his net worth, with further profits after hours.

Booker warned: "Not to have hearings, not to do any kind of oversight, undermines the faith we have in our government."
While no solid evidence has yet been unveiled, 19 House Democrats have officially requested the SEC to investigate potential market manipulation.

The White House has denied any offense, stating Trump was simply reassuring the public amid economic turmoil.

Image via Shutterstock

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