Trump Is Already Calling for More People to Be Investigated
Donald Trump has made clear that upon his return to office, he intends to sic the authorities under his control on his political enemies and critics. Inauguration Day is still months away, but the newly minted president-elect is wasting no time adding to his list of targets – starting with people speculating that he may sell Truth Social.
“There are fake, untrue, and probably illegal rumors and/or statements made by, perhaps, market manipulators or short sellers, that l am interested in selling shares of Truth [Social],” Trump raged Friday on Truth Social. “THOSE RUMORS OR STATEMENTS ARE FALSE. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SELLING!”
“I hereby request that the people who have set off these fake rumors or statements, and who may have done so in the past, be immediately investigated by the appropriate authorities,” he wrote. “Truth is an important part of our historic win, and I deeply believe in it. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT.”
On Election Day, trading of shares of Trump’s media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, was temporarily halted after a sudden drop in share prices, while the company’s stock regained some ground after Trump’s election win, it remains significantly below its recent October spike.
The question of whether Trump will cash out now is a valid one. The president-elect holds a 58 percent stake in Truth Social’s parent company, and will theoretically be required to place his holdings in an independent trust when he assumes office. In the last fiscal quarter, Trump Media & Technology Group reported a $19 million loss, adding another entry to its long history of financial troubles.
But it seems that in Trump’s mind, speculation is akin to criminal market manipulation. As absurd as it sounds, it speaks to Trump’s long held desire to exact revenge on his detractors. The president-elect suggested during his campaign that if reelected he would move to indict President Joe Biden, and seek to prosecute Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Special Counsel Jack Smith, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray, among plenty of others.
As previously reported by Rolling Stone, Trump has been preparing an army of lawyers and legal strategists who will be tasked with hunting down any and all Department of Justice officials who participated in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s two indictments against Trump, which will be dissolved now that he’s been elected.
“There are almost too many targets to keep track of,” one Trump adviser told Rolling Stone.
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