Source: Brokerage China
Author: Chen Ming
In just one night, multiple pieces of news about Trump have emerged!
Recently, President Trump of the USA stated in a media interview that he would "absolutely" sign a bill prohibiting members of Congress from trading stocks, expressing concern that lawmakers might use insider information to gain an advantage.
In addition, Trump indicated on Friday that it is unlikely that a 90-day suspension of tariffs will be approved again. He said, "I hope to reach trade agreements with a range of countries. We will be reasonable about it." Trump also mentioned that the USA is "very close" to reaching a trade agreement with Japan. He added that the tariff plan is progressing "very well."
On the same day, Trump also stated that Russia and Ukraine are "very close" to reaching an agreement, and both sides should hold high-level meetings now to "end the war."
There are also reports that the Trump administration is pressuring Europe to abandon stricter standards regarding transparency, risk mitigation, and copyright regulations aimed at advanced AI developers.
Let's take a look at the detailed report!
Trump: Will sign a bill to prohibit members of Congress from trading stocks.
Recently, the USA government's erratic tariff policy has led to significant volatility in the US stock market. The Trump administration also faces numerous accusations, claiming that government staff have been sharing hints about tariff policies and trade negotiations, enabling traders to respond in advance to large-scale market turmoil.
Trump stated that he would "absolutely" sign a bill prohibiting members of Congress from trading stocks, expressing concern that lawmakers might use inside information to gain an advantage. "I have no objection to this," Trump said in an interview with Time magazine published on Friday. "If they send the bill to me, I will sign it."
For a long time, both parties in the USA have supported legislation limiting congressional members from trading Stocks, as they have access to confidential information and internal details about the legislative process, giving them an advantage over others in the market. In 2020, a group of bipartisan senators faced criticism for trading Medical Care Stocks after a closed-door briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump specifically criticized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposed legislation banning members of Congress and their families from trading Stocks during her tenure as Speaker. Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, accumulated wealth through Real Estate and venture capital in the San Francisco area, and critics often mention cases where the couple achieved substantial returns through Stock trading.
However, the recent sudden shift in tariff policy has also raised widespread concern on Capitol Hill, with several lawmakers questioning whether this involves insider trading.
On the morning of April 9, Eastern Time, about half an hour after the US stock market opened, Trump posted on his social media platform, declaring, "Now is a great time to Buy!" and included the text "DJT" - which is both his initials and$Trump Media & Technology (DJT.US)$The stock code. Less than 4 hours later, Trump unexpectedly announced through Social Media a 90-day suspension of the implementation of "reciprocal tariffs," and the market responded quickly, with stocks soaring across the board. The S&P 500 Index closed up more than 9%, the Nasdaq Index, dominated by Technology stocks, surged over 12%, while shares of Trump Media Technology Group skyrocketed 22% on the same day.
Trump's dynamics and the timing of the tariff policy shift raised suspicions of market manipulation and insider trading. The New York Times reported that Democrat Congressman Mike Levin from California posted on social networks stating: "Isn't this market manipulation? If you are a supporter of Trump and did as he said and bought in, then you made a profit. But if you are a retiree, an elderly person, or someone from the middle class who experienced the significant drop over the past few days and decided to Sell without the ability to bear risks, then you lost money."
Democrat Senator Adam Schiff also called for Congress to investigate whether Trump is suspected of insider trading or market manipulation. He stated in a Social Media post that he would contact the White House to seek more information on who knew about Trump's upcoming decision to suspend tariffs and to find answers as much as possible.
Trump: Russia and Ukraine are "very close" to reaching an agreement.
According to CCTV News, on April 25, local time, Trump stated on his Social Media platform that negotiations and meetings with Russia and Ukraine that day were progressing smoothly.
Trump stated that they are "very close" to reaching an agreement, and both sides should now hold high-level meetings to "end the war." Trump mentioned that most of the major issues had reached consensus.
On April 25, local time, Russian presidential assistant Ushakov revealed that the meeting between Russian President Putin and the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, Wittkowski, lasted for 3 hours and was constructive. He stated that the meeting discussed the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Ushakov also stated that the meeting not only brought the positions of Russia and the USA closer on the Ukraine issue but also made progress on other issues. Ushakov indicated that the two countries would engage in productive dialogue at all levels.
In addition, Russian President's press secretary Peskov stated that Putin and Trump would not issue a joint statement regarding this meeting.
On April 24 local time, Trump made a series of statements regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Trump pointed out that both Ukraine and Russia have a desire to achieve peace, and both sides must engage in negotiations. He also revealed that he has set a deadline for the Russia-Ukraine issue, after which the USA's attitude will change.
However, Peskov stated on the 23rd that Trump has never specified any date, and the Russian side believes that setting a deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine is not appropriate.
Involving AI! The Trump administration is putting pressure on Europe.
According to foreign media reports, the Trump administration is applying pressure on Europe, trying to force it to abandon stricter standards formulated against advanced AI developers regarding transparency, risk mitigation, and copyright regulations.
The US government's delegation to the EU has contacted the European Commission to express opposition to the AI behavior code. Sources say that a letter opposing the provisions in their current form has been sent to several European governments. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier confirmed that the letter has been received.
This code, which is still pending finalization, aims to provide a framework of voluntary measures for technology companies to comply with the EU's AI Act. Violators of this law will face fines up to 7% of their annual revenue, but critics argue that the code goes beyond the literal meaning of this law and creates new cumbersome regulations.
Before this news broke, $Apple (AAPL.US)$ The company was fined 0.5 billion euros by the EU. On the 23rd, the European Commission issued a press release, identifying that the USA's Apple and Meta Platforms violated the Digital Markets Act, imposing fines of 0.5 billion euros and 200 million euros on the two companies respectively.
The statement said that Apple restricted app developers from directing users to use third-party channels in its app store, depriving users of the right to access alternative discounted services. Apple failed to demonstrate the necessity of these restrictions, and the EU required it to immediately lift these restrictions and not to engage in similar practices.
The statement said, $Meta Platforms (META.US)$ In 2023, a "consent or pay" model was launched in the EU region, requiring users of its "Facebook" and "Photo Wall" to either agree to integrate their personal data for receiving personalized ads or pay a monthly fee for using an ad-free version of the service. The EU deemed this model non-compliant with relevant legal requirements, thus making a penalty decision.
The statement said that if Apple and Meta do not implement corrections within 60 days, they may face further fines. This punishment is the first non-compliance designation since the EU's Digital Markets Act came into effect.
Editor/Rocky
