Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) proposed legislation that would restrict U.S. lawmakers from stock trading — and President Donald Trump was not happy about it.
In a committee vote Wednesday, Hawley and Democrats passed the bill out of committee, where it will hit the full Senate for a vote.
Business Insider reporter Bryan Metzger spoke with Hawley on Thursday, and he said Trump had called him the night before, telling him other Republicans had told him he'd be forced to sell Mar-a-Lago under Hawley's law.
However, Trump still supports a stock trading ban for Congress members, Hawley said.
"Hawley says that Trump didn’t bring up the fact that the bill *would* bar him from trading stocks, that he was just concerned with divestiture, which does not apply to him under the bill," wrote Metzger on X. "Hawley claims Trump told him he was 'exonerated' after he explained it."
Republicans ganged up on Hawley in the committee hearing at which the bill was passed on Wednesday.
"Let's be honest, this is a publicity show," claimed Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH).
After Hawley voted with Democrats, Trump lashed out on Truth Social, calling him a "second-tier senator."