Trump buys bonds worth millions from firms benefiting via policies
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has invested at least $82 million in corporate and municipal bonds between late August and early October. The financial disclosures, released by the US Office of Government Ethics under the 1978 Ethics in Government Act, show that Trump made over 175 financial transactions between August 28 and October 2. The total value of these bond purchases exceeded $337 million, as per the filings.Trump buys millions in bonds from firms benefiting via policies.
Investment details
Trump's bond investments cover various sectors
The majority of assets in the recent disclosures are bonds from municipalities, states, counties, school districts and other government-related entities. Trump's new bond investments cover a range of industries, including those that have already benefited or are benefiting from his administration's policy changes such as financial deregulation.
Corporate acquisitions
Corporate bonds acquired by Trump include tech giants
Trump's corporate bond acquisitions include those from chipmakers Broadcom and Qualcomm, tech companies Meta Platforms, retailers Home Depot and CVS Health, as well as Wall Street banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In late August, he also purchased debt from investment banks including JP Morgan. However, on Friday Trump asked the US Justice Department to investigate JP Morgan over its ties to late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Intel acquisition
Trump's bond purchases include Intel
Trump also bought Intel bonds after the US government, under his direction, acquired a stake in the company. The White House has previously said that Trump continues to file mandatory disclosures about his investments but neither he nor his family runs the portfolio. Instead, it is managed by a third-party financial institution.
Income report
Trump's annual disclosure reveals substantial income
In an August disclosure, Trump revealed he had bought over $100 million in bonds since resuming presidency on January 20. He also filed his annual disclosure form in June, which showed income from his various ventures still ultimately goes to him. This raised concerns of potential conflicts of interest. The annual disclosure indicated Trump earned over $600 million from cryptocurrencies, golf properties, licensing and other ventures.