White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her controversial stock trades, calling her the primary reason a congressional stock trading ban is under serious consideration. During a recent press briefing, Leavitt highlighted the Pelosi family’s financial activity, reading aloud a list of trades made by Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, which she said consistently outperformed major investors. “Her portfolio beat Warren Buffett and every hedge fund on Wall Street,” Leavitt remarked.

Leavitt emphasized the glaring gap between Pelosi’s congressional salary—\$174,000—and her reported net worth of over \$400 million. “The reason this issue is even on the table is because of Nancy Pelosi,” she declared. Leavitt cited a 70% return on Pelosi’s portfolio in 2024 alone, more than doubling the performance of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway during the same period, fueling public suspicion and criticism.

She also stressed that President Biden shares the public’s frustration over apparent conflicts of interest. “He doesn’t want to see people like Nancy Pelosi enriching themselves off public service and ripping off their constituents in the process,” Leavitt stated. She added that while the mechanics of proposed legislation are still being worked out, the president conceptually supports a trading ban for lawmakers.

Momentum for reform has grown around Senator Josh Hawley’s PELOSI Act. The bill would prohibit members of Congress and their spouses from owning or trading individual stocks while in office. Instead, lawmakers could invest in diversified mutual funds, ETFs, or U.S. Treasury bonds.

The PELOSI Act has garnered bipartisan backing, including support from House Speaker Mike Johnson. “Members of Congress should be fighting for the people—not day trading,” Hawley said. He argued that the measure is crucial for restoring public trust in Congress, as Americans grow increasingly disillusioned by politicians appearing to profit from insider knowledge.