Is Trump engaging in a form of the "pump and dump" scheme?

In the simplest sense of the term, a "pump and dump" scheme is carrying out a public relations campaign to artificially inflate the value of stocks one owns, only to sell off the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price. Go to Wikipedia for a more comprehensive definition and list of examples: Pump and dump - Wikipedia

Since January, 2018, Trump has engaged in a series of tariffs with Europe and China, which has appeared to gain no measurable, definable or net positive results for anyone, and which stopped dead in its tracks the seemingly unstoppable and stratospheric rise of the stock market. Since that time, the overall trend of the DOW has fluctuated wildly between just over 26,000 to lows of around 23,000. Nothing coherent precipitates the announcement of each new round of tariffs, and each has resulted in a precipitous drop in the DOW. Eventually, Trump's talk of trade wars will ease off and the stock market will appear to recover, only for a new round of tariffs to be announced...rinse and repeat. What we see as a result is this:



And is it the sort of thing he'd do?

4. He made millions posing as a corporate raider - until investors realized he never followed through

For a time, Mr. Trump was able to stave off his coming collapse with the help of a new public role: He traded on his business-titan brand to present himself as a corporate raider. He would acquire shares in a company with borrowed money, suggest publicly that he was contemplating a takeover, then quietly sell on the resulting bump in the stock price.

“He has an appetite like a Rocky Mountain vulture,� his stockbroker, Alan C. Greenberg, told The Wall Street Journal in 1987. “He’d like to own the world.�

From 1986 through 1989, Mr. Trump declared $67.3 million in gains from stocks and other assets bought and sold within a year.

But ultimately, the figures show, he lost most, if not all, of those gains after investors stopped taking his takeover talk seriously.

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5 Takeaways From 10 Years of Trump Tax Figures - The New York Times

So while the above suggests that it's certainly likely that Trump would do this (seeing as he's done it before), the present day circumstances are difficult to pin down because we don't have a clear picture of his finances, and we have no idea if he's doing a pump and dump scheme for himself or for other people.

So do you think Trump is waging a trade war to engage in a pump and dump scheme, either to profit himself or other people?

1. I'd bet on it.
2. Absolutely not.
3. I'm not yet convinced, but it's the sort of thing he'd do.
4. I'm not yet convinced, but it's not the sort of thing he'd do.

Gonna need more evidence that he's doing it, but I would not put it past him. tRump has zero regard for ethics or the law.

3. I don't have enough evidence to say, but it's the sort of thing he'd do. (although I would almost bet on it).

Trump no doubt learned all about the pump and dump scheme from Roy Cohn, and the criminal Russian emigres that settled in Brighton Beach back when he was learning the real estate business in NYC.

Donald Trump has never been shy about making fantastical claims about his properties, abilities, wealth, just about everything.

Fat Boy is constantly pumping. He pumps Mar-a-Lago nearly every weekend and doubled the club membership fee as a result of his new office.

Someone is getting rich from Trumps tariff/stock manipulations, and it isn't Joe Schmoe on Podunk Street.

Rogue Valley said:

3. I don't have enough evidence to say, but it's the sort of thing he'd do. (although I would almost bet on it).

Trump no doubt learned all about the pump and dump scheme from Roy Cohn, and the criminal Russian emigres that settled in Brighton Beach back when he was learning the real estate business in NYC.

Donald Trump has never been shy about making fantastical claims about his properties, abilities, wealth, just about everything.

Fat Boy is constantly pumping. He pumps Mar-a-Lago nearly every weekend and doubled the club membership fee as a result of his new office.

Someone is getting rich from Trumps tariff/stock manipulations, and it isn't Joe Schmoe on Podunk Street.

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What he said.

Insider trading basically.. and yes he and his "buddies" are clearly doing this.. proving it of course will be next to impossible under the current administration.

Cardinal said:

He would acquire shares in a company with borrowed money, suggest publicly that he was contemplating a takeover, then quietly sell on the resulting bump in the stock price.

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I thought this was against the law. Was he investigated for this? And if so, do we know why he did not serve for these crimes?

I am sure he'd try this scheme if he thought he can get away with it.

Cardinal said:

In the simplest sense of the term, a "pump and dump" scheme is carrying out a public relations campaign to artificially inflate the value of stocks one owns, only to sell off the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price. Go to Wikipedia for a more comprehensive definition and list of examples: Pump and dump - Wikipedia

Since January, 2018, Trump has engaged in a series of tariffs with Europe and China, which has appeared to gain no measurable, definable or net positive results for anyone, and which stopped dead in its tracks the seemingly unstoppable and stratospheric rise of the stock market. Since that time, the overall trend of the DOW has fluctuated wildly between just over 26,000 to lows of around 23,000. Nothing coherent precipitates the announcement of each new round of tariffs, and each has resulted in a precipitous drop in the DOW. Eventually, Trump's talk of trade wars will ease off and the stock market will appear to recover, only for a new round of tariffs to be announced...rinse and repeat. What we see as a result is this:

View attachment 67256634

And is it the sort of thing he'd do?



5 Takeaways From 10 Years of Trump Tax Figures - The New York Times

So while the above suggests that it's certainly likely that Trump would do this (seeing as he's done it before), the present day circumstances are difficult to pin down because we don't have a clear picture of his finances, and we have no idea if he's doing a pump and dump scheme for himself or for other people.

So do you think Trump is waging a trade war to engage in a pump and dump scheme, either to profit himself or other people?

1. I'd bet on it.
2. Absolutely not.
3. I'm not yet convinced, but it's the sort of thing he'd do.
4. I'm not yet convinced, but it's not the sort of thing he'd do.

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Not sure, but nice hypothesis - if I'm honest, though, I thought this was going to be a Stormy Daniels thread.

OlNate said:

Not sure, but nice hypothesis - if I'm honest, though, I thought this was going to be a Stormy Daniels thread.

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Before I scrapped it as too obvious, the first line in the OP was "First, this thread is not about Stormy Daniels."

OlNate said:

Not sure, but nice hypothesis - if I'm honest, though, I thought this was going to be a Stormy Daniels thread.

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Cardinal said:

Before I scrapped it as too obvious, the first line in the OP was "First, this thread is not about Stormy Daniels."

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Ya, well, we can't all be the funniest man on the planet...

azgreg said:

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Giggity!

Cardinal said:

In the simplest sense of the term, a "pump and dump" scheme is carrying out a public relations campaign to artificially inflate the value of stocks one owns, only to sell off the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price. Go to Wikipedia for a more comprehensive definition and list of examples: Pump and dump - Wikipedia

Since January, 2018, Trump has engaged in a series of tariffs with Europe and China, which has appeared to gain no measurable, definable or net positive results for anyone, and which stopped dead in its tracks the seemingly unstoppable and stratospheric rise of the stock market. Since that time, the overall trend of the DOW has fluctuated wildly between just over 26,000 to lows of around 23,000. Nothing coherent precipitates the announcement of each new round of tariffs, and each has resulted in a precipitous drop in the DOW. Eventually, Trump's talk of trade wars will ease off and the stock market will appear to recover, only for a new round of tariffs to be announced...rinse and repeat. What we see as a result is this:

View attachment 67256634

And is it the sort of thing he'd do?



5 Takeaways From 10 Years of Trump Tax Figures - The New York Times

So while the above suggests that it's certainly likely that Trump would do this (seeing as he's done it before), the present day circumstances are difficult to pin down because we don't have a clear picture of his finances, and we have no idea if he's doing a pump and dump scheme for himself or for other people.

So do you think Trump is waging a trade war to engage in a pump and dump scheme, either to profit himself or other people?

1. I'd bet on it.
2. Absolutely not.
3. I'm not yet convinced, but it's the sort of thing he'd do.
4. I'm not yet convinced, but it's not the sort of thing he'd do.

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None of the above.

I wouldn't never put it past Trump to try, but I seriously doubt he's smart enough to do it and not be caught.

Cardinal said:

I
4. I'm not yet convinced, but it's not the sort of thing he'd do.

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Ethically it wouldn't surprise me. Intellectually? Naah, he's way too dumb. I think the tariffs and fluctuations are just a result of his mindless flailing.

Eventually the Chinese will dominate world trade. China already has a larger middle class than we do. They have four times our population, are a hard working people, and their governmental system is set up for fast tracking anything they want to do. But they also engage in a lot of unfair trade practices. Fact is, though, they will eventually dominate even if they conduct trade fairly, but they seem to think cheating is necessary. Cheating is a shortcut; and the Chinese are hell bent on developing as fast as they can.

I don't know what President Trump can do besides tariffs and maybe a trade war to help correct this situation. Previous presidents have done little, both Democrat and Republican; to address these issues. I will give Trump credit for at least taking this issue seriously, and having the courage to try and correct the problems. The proposed TPP deal would have made matters worse. China will end up as the world's most powerful economic engine, but they should do so honestly.

uptower said:

Ethically it wouldn't surprise me. Intellectually? Naah, he's way too dumb. I think the tariffs and fluctuations are just a result of his mindless flailing.

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President Trump is someone that fundamentally believes in tariffs. His campaign was based on tariffs.

Addressing a rally in Tampa, Trump said that if he was elected in November, he would instruct the U.S. trade representative to bring cases against China both in the U.S. and at the World Trade Organization.

Tariffs would be necessary in some cases “because they have to understand that we’re not playing games anymore,” he added. Trump had previously pledged a 45% tariff on Chinese goods.

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Donald Trump Threatens to Slap Tariffs on Products Made in China | Fortune

"The only power that we have with China," Trump said, "is massive trade."

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Donald Trump: 45% tariff on Chinese imports - Business Insider

Trump supported tariffs against the Chinese in 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016. 25%? He wants 45%. He has even called himself a tariff man.

At the moment, it looks more like he's depressing the market, not pumping it up.