Ban Government Stock Trading and Close the Presidential Conflict-of-Interest Loophole

Pass legislation that bans stock trading by all government officials, eliminates the President and Vice President's exemption from federal conflict-of-interest laws, imposes real financial penalties for violations, and fully funds an independent Office of Government Ethics. The current system is broken by design, and Trump's own financial disclosures prove it. His Form 278-T, filed with the OGE in May, lists over 3,600 stock trades worth up to $750 million in just the first quarter of 2026. The pattern is impossible to ignore: Nvidia stock purchased while Nvidia's CEO lobbied Trump to lift chip export restrictions, then Trump reversed the policy and took the CEO to China on Air Force One. Dell stock bought, then Trump publicly told Americans to "go out and buy a Dell," after which the stock surged 24%. Boeing purchased before Trump flew Boeing's CEO to China, where 200 planes were reportedly sold. Richard Painter, White House ethics counsel under George W. Bush, confirmed no previous president has traded stocks while in office. Every modern president since LBJ used blind trusts or liquidated assets. The bipartisan STOCK Act ban introduced by Senators Moody and Gillibrand is a start, but it explicitly excludes the President. That loophole must be closed. The NYT estimates Trump has pocketed $1.4 billion in his first year back in office. This isn't a partisan issue — it's a corruption issue. Fix the law so it actually applies to everyone.