PBS issues 'breaking news' in devastating blow for Trump

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has announced an investigation into President Donald Trump over allegations of market manipulation following his recent social media activity. This comes after international powers have called for Trump's financial dealings and their potential impact on global stock markets to be scrutinised.

In an appearance on PBS News, Jeffries stated: "We need to get to the bottom of the possible stock manipulation that is unfolding before the American people, including, what, if any, advance knowledge did members of the House Republican conference have of Trump's decision to pause the reckless tariffs that he put into place. There are several members of Congress who will be aggressively demanding answers and transparency, particularly as it relates to stock purchase decisions that may have occurred over the last few days."

This controversy erupted after Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday morning, writing: "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT."

Just hours later, he announced a 90-day suspension on his proposed tariffs for most countries, excluding China. This unexpected policy reversal triggered a sharp surge in the stock market, with the S&P 500 soaring by over 9% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq closing up more than 12%.

Global markets followed suit, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbing 9% and London’s FTSE 100 rising by 4% in early trading on Thursday.

Even more speculation was fuelled by the initials Trump used to sign off his post - DJT - which are also the symbol for for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social.

The stock for the company saw an immediate 22% rise, which prompted calls for an investigation into whether Trump’s actions were an attempt to profit from market fluctuations.

Democratic lawmakers are leading the charge in demanding transparency. Senator Adam Schiff warned of "dangerous opportunities for insider trading" and has formally requested the White House to disclose who in the administration had prior knowledge of Trump’s tariff reversal.

Similarly, Senator Chris Murphy declared that "an insider trading scandal is brewing," questioning whether individuals close to Trump made financial gains from his abrupt policy shift.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also shared their concerns, and has urged all members of Congress to disclose their recent stock purchases. She posted on X sayihng: "I’ve been hearing some interesting chatter on the floor. Disclosure deadline is May 15th. We’re about to learn a few things. It’s time to ban insider trading in Congress."