Rep. Craig Blasts Administration for Using Trade Policy to Enrich Inner Circle

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig joined her colleagues in expressing serious concerns that the Administration may be using trade policy to enrich the President’s inner circle.

In a letter to President Trump and top cabinet officials, the Members of Congress noted that Cabinet Members and top officials connected with the Administration are in positions to directly benefit from stock market volatility, while everyday Americans stand to suffer financially. 

“Our concern stems from the fact that Cabinet Members and top officials connected with the Administration—including members of the President’s family—are in positions to directly benefit from any manipulation of the stock market, while its volatility puts the financial security of everyday Americans at risk,” the Members wrote. “The volatility in the stock market has devastated the financial security of Americans... These are real losses from retirement accounts, 529 college savings plans, and Health Savings Accounts that families depend on for essential expenses.”

They also raised questions about the President’s choice to post on social media encouraging his followers to buy stocks only hours before reversing his decision to impose sweeping tariffs on America’s trading partners.

“This sequence of events raises serious concerns about the timing of public communications by the President and the use of executive authority in trade matters,” the Members continued. “The lack of transparency in decision-making—especially when so closely tied to significant market movements—undermines public trust and raises red flags about potential manipulation or self-dealing.”

The Members also requested information to better understand the role of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in overseeing trade policy decisions. 

“The appearance that trade announcements or reversals may be timed in coordination with statements that influence markets—even implicitly—warrants immediate and thorough scrutiny,” the Members wrote. “If individuals within the Administration had advanced knowledge of trade actions or reversals and used that information for personal or political gain, such conduct would be deeply troubling —and potentially unlawful.”

Representative Craig has led the charge to clean up Washington and prohibit Members of Congress from profiting off their service. She recently re-introduced her Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination (HUMBLE) Act, which would ban Members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks, prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for first-class airline tickets, prevent Members from serving on corporate boards while they are in Congress and eliminate access to Members-only perks for former Members. The bill also includes a new provision to eliminate automatic pay raises for Members of Congress.  

You can read the full letter here.

###