Trump's deputy chief of staff unloaded Trump Media stock the day before tariff announcement [View all]
Source: USA Today
Updated July 10, 2025, 12:52 p.m. ET
Dan Scavino had months to sell off up to $5 million worth of Trump Media stock after he joined President Donald Trump's administration as a deputy chief of staff in January. But the top Trump adviser picked April 1, the day before Trump announced sweeping tariffs, to make the sale, according to disclosure reports obtained by USA TODAY.
After markets closed on April 2, Trump announced tariffs on imports from countries worldwide. Markets plunged on the news, dropping 12% by April 9, when Trump paused the tariffs. Trump Media stock, too, fell 11%.
The disclosure filings also show that Sergio Gor, Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, sold Trump Media securities valued between $15,001 and $50,000 on March 27, just days before the tariffs were announced.
In response to USA TODAYs questions about the timing of the divestments, White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers said, White House senior staff, including Deputy Chief of Staff Scavino and PPO Director Gor, fully comply with the executive branch ethics rules, attending required ethics briefings and complying with conflict of interest and financial reporting obligations.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/10/dan-scavino-trump-media-stock-sale-tariffs/84522176007/