Trump Insider Trading Row Widens: Hegseth, War Bets & $580M Mystery Trade

Allegations of insider trading linked to the Trump administration are intensifying, with a new report raising questions around U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to a Financial Times investigation, a broker reportedly explored investing millions into a defence-focused ETF—just weeks before U.S. strikes on Iran. While the Pentagon has strongly denied the claims, scrutiny is mounting amid a series of eerily well-timed market moves. A $580 million trade in oil futures was executed just minutes before Donald Trump announced a pause in hostilities—triggering major market swings. This follows last year’s dramatic rally in the S&P 500 after Trump signalled it was the “right time to buy” ahead of a tariff pause. As geopolitical tensions and financial markets collide, questions are growing louder—are these coincidences, or something more?