Vance Defends Trump’s 3,700 Trades as Disclosures Show Hundreds of Millions in Stock Transactions
Updated
Updated · CNBC · May 19
Vance Defends Trump’s 3,700 Trades as Disclosures Show Hundreds of Millions in Stock Transactions
6 articles · Updated · CNBC · May 19
3,700 transactions in the first three months of 2026 prompted JD Vance to defend Donald Trump, saying the president does not personally buy and sell stocks and uses independent wealth advisers.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in disclosed trades drew scrutiny because some holdings involved companies Trump later praised publicly, including Palantir, which he touted in April after buying shares in March.
White House and Trump Organization officials said the assets sit in a trust and fully discretionary accounts run by third-party institutions, with no family role in selecting, directing or approving investments.
Vance argued the issue differs from officials trading on nonpublic information, saying he and Trump still support banning congressional stock trading and making such conduct illegal.
The exchange came as a reporter cited polling showing more Americans describe Trump as corrupt, sharpening conflict-of-interest questions around the disclosures.
Are financial disclosures enough to ensure trust with a president's vast crypto and business holdings?
When a president can move markets, how can their investment managers ever be truly independent?
Why does the proposed stock trading ban for Congress not apply to the executive branch?