Proprietary information gained from public service

Vance downplays Trump's thousands of stock trades while in office

By Adam Cancryn

Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday sidestepped scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s extensive stock trading activity while in office, arguing that he was not personally buying and selling the stocks.

“He has independent wealth advisers who manage his money,” Vance said during a press briefing. “He’s not making these stock trades himself.”

The vice president bristled at the question about Trump’s most recent financial disclosure, which showed thousands of stock trades, including investments in companies that Trump had publicly praised or that had business before the administration.

But pressed on whether that activity was appropriate, Vance downplayed the issue and instead contended that Trump supported restrictions on public officials’ ability to trade stocks.

“All of us believe that nobody should be taking proprietary information gained from public service and buying and selling stocks,” he said. “I think the way to lead by example is banning that process, banning that approach, and making it illegal, which is exactly what the president has proposed doing.”