Democrat California Rep. Nancy Pelosi became visibly agitated with CNN’s Jake Tapper Wednesday after he asked her about President Donald Trump and Trump’s remarks about Pelosi and alleged insider trading.
While talking to reporters Wednesday, Trump voiced support for banning stock trading by government officials and called for Pelosi to be “investigated” over alleged insider trading. Tapper, having just discussed the possibility of California redistricting on “The Lead,” began to ask Pelosi about Trump’s remarks. The clip Tapper attempted to play of the president’s remarks malfunctioned, however. (RELATED: Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Portfolio Explodes In Value, Beats Market By Nearly 200%)
“Let me just read what he said. I’m sorry that we had some sort of technical issue. ‘Nancy Pelosi became rich’ — ” Tapper began to read before Pelosi interrupted him.
“Why do you have to read that? We’re here to talk about the 60th anniversary of Medicaid. That’s what I agreed to come to talk about and what that means in the election,” Pelosi said.
During the briefing, Trump told Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese that, in addition to “conceptually” approving an act to ban government officials, he also called out how “rich” Pelosi has become by allegedly “having inside information.”
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“She made a fortune with her husband, and I think that’s disgraceful,” Trump said. “But conceptually I like it and what I do think is that Nancy Pelosi should be investigated because she has the highest return of anybody, practically, in the history of Wall Street. Save a few, and how did that happen? It happened by she knows exactly what’s gonna happen. She buys stock, and then the stock goes up after the announcement is made. And she ought to be investigated.”
Tapper told Pelosi he wanted to give her a chance to respond, noting that the president accused her of insider trading.
“That’s ridiculous,” Pelosi said. “In fact, I very much support the trading of members of Congress. Not that I think anybody’s doing anything wrong. If they are, they are prosecuted, and they go to jail. But because of the confidence it instills in the American people, don’t worry about this. But I have no concern about the obvious investments that have been made over time. I’m not into it. My husband is. But it isn’t anything to do with anything insider.”
“But the president has his own exposure, so he’s always projecting. He’s always projecting. And let’s not give him any more time on that, please. We’re going forward here, and I’m very proud of my family,” Pelosi added. “While he might make fun of us, while somebody inspired by him breaks into our home and in a deadly fashion hits my husband over the head, and he thinks that’s a riot. I’d rather not go into some of my other complaints about him right now. Rather to talk about the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare.”
Following Trump’s call for an investigation, Pelosi went on to endorse the HONEST Act, also known as the Halting Ownership of Non-Ethical Securities and Trusts Act, which would ensure that “officials at the highest levels of the federal government cannot profit through ownership of stocks and other securities that they have regulatory control over.”
In addition to calling out Pelosi, Trump blasted Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley on Wednesday afternoon after he joined Democrats in halting a measure that sought to commission a government report on Pelosi’s stock trading history.
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