‘How Is This Legal?!’ Manu Raju Gobsmacked Over Truth Social Selling Access To Trump’s Posts

 

CNN’s Manu Raju was gobsmacked when reporting on Donald Trump’s social media site Truth Social selling quicker access to the president’s “market-moving” posts.

“For reportedly $100,000 a month, Truth Social is offering investors early access to President Trump’s market-moving posts before the general public sees them,” Raju began, adding, “CNN reached out to the White House for comment when the service was announced two-and-a-half weeks ago, and we’re still waiting for that response.”

Raju turned to legal analyst Elliot Williams, asking, “Uh, Elliot, how is this legal?”

“Ah, how is it legal, Manu?” Williams exclaimed. “It’s so close, and it’s legally complicated. But I think there’s a difference between what is ‘amoral, not cool, shady, and inappropriate for a president of the United States to be engaging in,’ and the crime of insider trading.

Williams continued:

I think there’s a distinction here because, for something to be insider trading — which is what people are talking about — it has to be the exchange of material, non-public information that someone acts on. I think a president’s statement about policy, which is what they are, is not necessarily the same as a CEO having a tip that he passes to his caddie, who then goes and buys a lot of stock. I just think, it’s just not good. No American should like what’s happening here.

The problem that we’re seeing is the president is continuing to enrich himself while he’s in office on things that he didn’t divest himself of. But whether this rises to the level of insider trading, someone’s going to file a suit about it. I just don’t think it’s as open and shut as many people think it is.

Raju read out some examples of Trump’s “market-moving posts,” including pausing reciprocal tariffs, strikes on Iran, and the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

“People who have access to this, they can make a lot more money than you or I who are not paying $100,000 a month,” Raju said.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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