One of the sons of US President Donald Trump, Eric, was accused of intending to make money on bets on the fights of the UFC Freedom 250 tournament, which was held on the White House lawn on the birthday of the American leader. UFC commentator Daniel Cormier posted on X (former Twitter) a screenshot of receiving messages from an account signed with the name Eric Trump, asking whether the results of the fights will be rigged. The post was later deleted, and Cormier and the president’s son began to deny the correspondence.
The tournament was held on June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House on the 80th birthday of US President Donald Trump, the event kicked off the celebration of the country's 250th anniversary (RTVI.US reported on the scandals surrounding it). The day before the tournament, Cormier allegedly wrote to Eric Trump on Instagram. The commenter's post said: “I will most likely be scolded for making this public, but I cannot remain silent.” He declared his intolerance for “this kind of behavior from insiders.” Attached below were screenshots of alleged messages from the president's 42-year-old son. Immediately after the greeting, he asked what information Cormier had.
“Are you placing any bets? What can you tell me about tomorrow's fighters? Who do you think will win? Do you know of any fighter injuries?” — Eric Trump allegedly wrote.
He then asked if any of the fights were fake, mentioned that he was following the Diego Lopez fight, and wrote “$$,” probably meaning an opportunity to make money. Eric Trump quickly denied the allegations, telling X that he “never contacted” Cormier. The commentator also denied the authenticity of the screenshots, writing: “Are people really that stupid?” At the same time, users of the social network doubted its veracity.
I'm a now deleted post by Daniel Cormier, Eric Trump DM'd him and asked him “are any of the fights tomorrow rigged?” 👀 #UFCWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/lNZMFXWQWJ
— Sean O'Meowlly🍭 (@NeedMyNutsLickt) June 14, 2026
This is not the first time that the Trump family has been suspected of insider trading, that is, when some stock exchange players gain access to classified information in advance and, based on it, make profitable transactions for themselves. Depending on the specific circumstances and the amount by which the person concerned has enriched himself, such activities may expose the participants to criminal liability.
Donald Trump Jr. was suspected of such trading on platforms where traders place bets on the outcome of various events, including political ones. The president's son was suspected of placing his last bet less than five hours before the start of the American operation in Venezuela as an anonymous trader on Polymarket and winning more than $400,000.
The White House warned its employees at the beginning of the year about the inadmissibility of insider trading in the context of the war with Iran, The New York Times (NYT) reported. The directive was issued against the backdrop of suspiciously timely transactions in the oil markets and forecasts made on the eve of the decisive moments of the conflict, the publication clarifies.
Democratic Senator from California Adam Schiff demanded back in 2025 an audit of Donald Trump, his administration and relatives in connection with possible insider trading in shares. The reason for suspicion was the publications of the head of the White House on social networks before the introduction of a tariff pause for more than 75 countries.
From January 6 to March 30, 2026, the president's investment accounts made 2,346 purchases and 1,296 sales, according to CBS News. Federal officials, including the head of state, are required by law to report any securities transactions worth more than $1,000 to the Office of Government Ethics within 45 days.
The document, signed by Trump on May 8, lists 3,642 transactions made by 1,026 individual firms and funds. Tech giants and popular exchange-traded funds lead the list of the most frequent and largest transactions. Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Netflix, Oracle and AMD were the most frequently mentioned in the document, with 17 to 22 deals per company. As CBS News notes, Trump's fortune has grown by $1.4 billion over the past year.
At the same time, as the channel emphasizes, the head of the White House claims that neither he nor his family influence the investment portfolio managed by independent managers. But Trump's stock trades raise questions about his influence over stock prices and his access to information about his holdings.
Most presidents place their assets in a blind trust or limit their assets to diversified funds before taking office. A blind trust does not allow beneficiaries to interfere with the day-to-day management of their money. This is done in order to avoid a conflict of interest or even the appearance of a conflict.
“The fact that a sitting president is actively involved in the affairs of some companies is alarming to ethics experts and Democrats on Capitol Hill, who believe that this situation opens the door to corruption,” CBS News emphasizes.
The problem is that Trump can make any decisions that could affect the stock price, including posts on social networks, Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School who specializes in government ethics, said in an interview with the TV channel.
The expert noted the opportunity for the president to buy shares before declaring something, after which their value could rise, and the head of state would make a profit, actually relying on his own information and actions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also accused Donald Trump of enriching himself by $4 billion and corruption, according to whom the US Department of Justice began an investigation against him and his wife at the direction of the president, as reported by RTVI.US.
