Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became visibly agitated during a Wednesday CNN interview when host Jake Tapper pressed her about President Donald Trump’s allegations of insider trading involving her husband’s stock transactions.
The tense exchange occurred on July 30, 2025, during Pelosi’s appearance on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” The California Democrat had initially agreed to discuss the 60th anniversary of Medicaid when Tapper attempted to show Trump’s comments from earlier that day accusing her of becoming wealthy through inside information.
When technical difficulties prevented the video clip from playing, Tapper began reading Trump’s statement aloud. Pelosi quickly interrupted: “Why do you have to read that?” She emphasized that she had come to discuss Medicaid’s anniversary and its electoral implications.
Despite her objections, Tapper persisted in seeking her response to the President’s accusations. Trump had told reporters earlier that day that Pelosi became rich by having inside information and should be investigated for having what he characterized as the highest returns of practically anyone in Wall Street history. The President specifically mentioned her husband Paul’s involvement in the trading activities.
Pelosi dismissed the allegations as ridiculous and stated her support for stopping congressional stock trading. She clarified that while she believes current trading activities are not inherently wrong, prosecution would follow any illegal behavior. The former Speaker indicated that transparency measures would instill confidence in the American people.
The 85-year-old politician emphasized that she does not personally engage in stock trading, noting that her husband handles their family’s investments without any insider involvement. She accused Trump of projecting due to his own exposure and requested that Tapper not give the President additional time on the topic.
The interview occurred amid renewed congressional debate over stock trading restrictions. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri had introduced legislation originally called the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments Act, which carried the obvious acronym PELOSI. The bill advanced through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday with an 8-7 vote.
The legislation, later renamed the HONEST Act, would ban all members of Congress, their spouses, and future presidents and vice presidents from trading individual stocks while in office. Democrats on the committee joined in supporting the measure, despite its origins targeting Pelosi specifically.
Trump initially expressed conceptual support for the legislation but later reversed course on Truth Social. He criticized Hawley for creating a bill that Pelosi supported, suggesting the Missouri Senator was playing into Democratic hands. The President’s change of position reportedly came after learning the bill would also restrict presidential and vice-presidential trading, though current office holders would be grandfathered in.
Paul Pelosi’s trading activities have drawn scrutiny over the years, particularly regarding timing of transactions. In December 2022, he sold 30,000 Google shares one month before the company faced antitrust litigation. Earlier controversies included his trading of semiconductor stocks worth between one million and five million dollars just days before Congress voted on a 52 billion dollar industry subsidy in 2022.
Recent reports indicated Paul Pelosi made 38 million dollars worth of stock trades in the weeks leading up to Trump’s January 2025 inauguration. His estimated net worth stands at 262 million dollars according to Quiver Quantitative. Nancy Pelosi is legally required to disclose her husband’s trading activities as part of congressional transparency requirements.
During the CNN interview, Pelosi also referenced the 2022 attack on her husband at their San Francisco home, where an intruder struck him with a hammer, causing a fractured skull. She criticized Trump for making jokes about the incident during campaign events, including comments at the California Republican Party Fall Convention in September 2023.
A spokesperson for Pelosi later clarified that the former Speaker does not own any stocks and has no knowledge of or involvement in her husband’s transactions. Following the committee advancement of Hawley’s legislation, Pelosi issued a statement supporting the HONEST Act, emphasizing the need for strong transparency and accountability in government financial conduct.
The former Speaker concluded the interview by redirecting attention away from Trump’s allegations and back to healthcare policy discussions, stating her preference to focus on Medicaid and Medicare rather than addressing additional complaints about the President.