Fact Check: Did Byron Donalds say insider trading should be allowed for Congress members?

WASHINGTON, DC: A video clip circulating on X has sparked controversy by appearing to show Byron Donalds, a leading Republican candidate in Florida’s gubernatorial race, defending insider trading for members of Congress as a path to wealth and luxury.

The clip has been widely shared by politicians, commentators, and social media users, many of whom criticized Donalds over the remarks and questioned the ethics of lawmakers trading stocks while in office. Let’s fact-check the claim.

Claim: Byron Donalds supports allowing insider trading

Conservative activist and writer Chris Nelson shared the video on X with the caption, “Byron Donalds says insider trading should ABSOLUTELY BE ALLOWED for members of Congress.” The post quickly gained traction, receiving thousands of shares across the platform.

In the clip, Donalds appeared to say, “Insider trading should absolutely be allowed for members of Congress.” The video also included remarks attributed to him stating, “Look, the salary, it doesn’t cut it anymore. If I happen to make millions because I’m privy to sensitive government information, well, that’s called initiative.”

The clip further portrayed Donalds as saying, “The American people want leaders who know how to capitalize on opportunity. That’s leadership. I want a bigger house. I want to drive a Bentley. I want investment properties in Miami and Aspen.”

Fact Check: Byron Donalds’ spokesperson debunks the video as AI-generated

A spokesperson for Byron Donalds said the viral video was created using artificial intelligence and did not reflect the congressman’s actual remarks. In the original clip, Donalds spoke about his upbringing and his mother’s support, saying: 

“You know, my mother, she has three children. I’m the middle child. My parents never married, just, they ain’t come together, whatever happened between my parents. But my mom just did everything that she could.”

The clip added, "She really believed in me, believed in, really, my abilities, thought education was gonna be key for my success. And so for her, there was no stone that was to be left unturned for me to be successful in life."

Fact-checkers traced the earliest version of the manipulated video to an X account with only 21 followers that regularly posts deepfake content featuring Donalds. Minutes after the account uploaded the altered insider-trading clip, Chris Nelson reshared it on X.

When asked about the findings, Nelson defended the post, saying, “It looks real to me and it rings true about Byron’s beliefs on insider trading.” After several users pointed out that the clip appeared AI-generated, Nelson responded sarcastically with comments such as, “No way!!” and “Byron would never be this honest in real life.”

A spokesperson later told Business Insider that Donalds did not personally execute those trades and was “working to reconcile any outstanding infractions.”

The viral video does not authentically show Donalds saying that “insider trading should absolutely be allowed for members of Congress” so he could buy a bigger house, drive a Bentley, or purchase luxury properties.

Byron Donalds clarifies stance on stock trading

Byron Donalds has publicly addressed congressional stock trading in the past. In 2025, he said he does not personally trade securities and instead uses a broker with trading authority.

He also stated that he supports banning members of Congress and their families from directly initiating stock trades while still allowing financial professionals to manage investments on their behalf.

He repeated a similar position in December 2025, stating that he has consistently opposed congressional trading but believes exceptions should exist for lawmakers who grant third-party authorization to licensed financial advisers.

In 2024, the Campaign Legal Center filed an ethics complaint alleging that Donalds violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act by failing to properly disclose stock trades totaling about $1.6 million.