An unusual bull run happened in the stock exchange, minutes prior to President Donald Trump’s declaration to hold tariff regulations, stirring up questions among investors. People across the internet have started to raise eyebrows, showered with a mixture of confusion and speculation. The stock market experienced a steep decline the week before, as the Trump management amplified their approach on ‘reciprocal’ tariff, far exceeding expectations. But the market trajectory changed abruptly when Trump postponed the policy through a post on Truth Social on April 9 at 1:18pm, which led to record-breaking single-day gains in stock prices.
The notable point here is what transpired in the 18 minutes before Trump’s announcement halting the tariff rollout. Several widely-traded ETFs recorded extraordinary trading volume. QQQ, SPY, and TQQQ showed a significant and rapid surge in transaction numbers. For instance, in the five minutes concluding 18 minutes before Trump unveiled his update, trading in the QQQ jumped from a consistent approximately 214,000 shares every five minutes to close to 1.5 million, as reported by MarketWatch data.
The surge in the volume of these ETFs didn’t go unnoticed and sparked heated discussions on Subreddit platforms. The damaging impact of Trump’s tariffs on stocks had left many investors baffled and concerned. A frustrated user vented, ‘Having funds to invest in the market, the uncertainty of where to channel it has left me terrified. Everything beyond a savings account appears to be a high-stakes gamble at this moment.’
Legislators have also begun voicing their concerns about these financial movements. California Democrat Senator Adam Schiff questioned, ‘Which members of the administration were privy to Trump’s tariff change of heart before it was known publicly? Did any individuals participate in buying or selling stocks, gaining profits at the expense of the public?’ It is indeed lawful for Congress members to buy stocks, yet these recent events have ignited renewed discussions about the potential for corruption in the stock market.
Several representatives have been scrutinized for their recent transactions. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic representative from California and Speaker Emerita, has been the subject of inspection due to her predominantly lucrative stock trades. Marjorie Taylor Greene, known for her strong support for Trump, invested in stocks following the tariff-induced dip.
Financial decisions made on behalf of Marjorie Taylor Greene, included the investing in several retail stocks. In the following week, Marjorie Taylor Greene disclosed her investments made during the dip. As an outspoken Republican congresswoman, her acquisitions spanned retail stocks bought during April 2nd to 4th asynchronously with the motivated selling from rest of the investors.
Clarifying her position, Greene stated that the transactions were part of a ‘fiduciary agreement allowing my financial advisor to dictate my investments.’ She further added, ‘All my investments are transparent and reported in full.’ Both Pelosi and Greene denied any allegations of misconduct. Yet other members of the US Capitol insisted that reforms are essential.
New York’s Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed, ‘It’s time to prohibit insider trading in Congress.’ She herself made investments in Nike, a corporation apprehensive about how the Trump tariffs might upend its US operations.
Senators Ruben Gallego from Arizona, a Democrat, along with Schiff, appealed for a national examination into the stock activities potentially influenced by individuals in immediate proximity to the White House. The Senators stated, ‘President Trump’s decision to withdraw majority tariffs predictably led financial markets to surge following periods of severe fluctuations.’ They expanded, ‘The President, his relatives, and his counsellors are uniquely positioned to gain access to confidential information, which can be exploited to shape their investments.’
Nevertheless, some have dismissed these allegations of wrongdoings. An investment and option analyst dismissed the insinuations, ‘It’s impossible to determine who was buying and for what reason. What we can confirm is that considering the recent market shift, retail investors began buying during the slump.’
The analyst further explained, ‘This trend emerged last week and upheld through Monday and Tuesday. Now, they stand to reap benefits. These investors identified an opportunity in the markets and had the courage to seize it.’
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