After Pressuring the Fed to Cut Rates, Trump Bought $100 Million in Bonds After Taking Office

Concerns Grow Over Potential Conflicts of Interest
as Trump Increases Bond Purchases Influenced by Policy

It has been confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump purchased a large amount of bonds after returning to the White House.

AP Yonhap News

According to Bloomberg News on August 19 (local time), the White House released a report on President Trump's investment activities from his inauguration in January up to earlier this month. The report shows that President Trump made 690 bond transactions, with the total amount exceeding at least $103.7 million (approximately 145 billion KRW).

In addition to municipal bonds issued by local governments, school districts, and airport authorities, President Trump also purchased corporate bonds from U.S. companies. He bought over $500,000 each in bonds from Qualcomm, T-Mobile, and Home Depot, and more than $250,000 in Meta bonds. When disclosing the investment holdings of federal elected officials in the U.S., only approximate ranges are provided for individual transactions, not the exact amounts.

President Trump, who is known to have $6.4 billion in assets, continued to invest aggressively, making bond trades even the day after his inauguration. There are concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as corporate bonds can be affected by changes in federal government policy.

Interest rates and bond prices move in opposite directions. When the Federal Reserve (Fed) lowers its benchmark interest rate, the price of government bonds rises, and corporate bonds are also affected. President Trump has continuously criticized the Fed's interest rate policy and has repeatedly called for rate cuts.

The federal ethics law enacted in 1978 does not require the president to dispose of assets that could potentially cause conflicts of interest. However, previous U.S. presidents have voluntarily disposed of or placed such assets in blind trusts. President Trump is the first president since the enactment of the federal ethics law not to follow this tradition.

According to the previously released 2024 financial report, President Trump holds hundreds of bonds in his personal investment accounts, separate from his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort and cryptocurrency-related businesses.