Speaker Mike Johnson justifies congressional stock trading because the $174k salary isn’t enough

[mystery-ak]

Speaker Mike Johnson justifies congressional stock trading because the $174k salary isn’t enough

I fear most of us don’t truly grasp the full extent of the uniparty.

Olivia Murray | May 21, 2026

Speaker Mike Johnson went before a press conference the other day to justify congressional stock trading because the $174k salary he and other members get just isn’t enough—despite it being 168% more per year than what the average American makes, a whopping $109,000 difference. (And despite him constantly working to spend more of our money, devaluing the dollar, and making it harder for us to survive.)

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/2055612045337227765

Let me remind you, this is not an out-of-touch jackass Democrat, but the Republican leader of the House. In Mike Johnson’s world, it’s perfectly acceptable to be given inside information before everyone else, make laws that would impact the publicly-owned companies…and also be involved in trading on the stock market. This is beyond the scope of what’s even remotely reasonable.

I fear most of us don’t truly grasp the full extent of the uniparty, and the ramifications of such a reality. Sure, we might acknowledge it intellectually, and we might be able to point out the most obvious examples (Mitch McConnell, JohnThune, etc.), but then we turn around and talk about how crucial it is that we “win” the midterms.

And please don’t hear my jaded tone and infer that I prefer Democrats to run things—I’m simply saying that the two parties are essentially no different, working for every other interest but the one of the American people. The only thing the Democrats have going for them is that they’re honest about hating us, while the Republicans are still pretending.

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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/speaker_mike_johnson_justifies_congressional_stock_trading_because_the_174k_salary_isn_t_enough.html

[catfish1957]

Nothing like making idiotic comments like this conjure visions of Bastille Day.  Mikey,....   can I have a slice of cake too?

[bigheadfred]

Nothing like making idiotic comments like this conjure visions of Bastille Day.  Mikey,....   can I have a slice of cake too?

No kidding

[Cyber Liberty]

Nothing like making idiotic comments like this conjure visions of Bastille Day.  Mikey,....   can I have a slice of cake too?

It's gonna suck for the Aristocrat Politicians when the people start trotting out real guillotines.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Bank robbers keep robbing banks because they haven't stolen enough money yet.

The unwashed deplorable masses would like to profit from insider trading, a crime for which Martha Stewart was sent to prison.

[Wingnut]

!74K?  Those are slave wages and congress members should be able to earn a living wage no matter how un ethical it may be.

[DefiantMassRINO]

What happens when you divide the $174K by the actual number of hours they spend working at the Capitol to get their hourly pay rate?

!74K?  Those are slave wages and congress members should be able to earn a living wage no matter how un ethical it may be.

[Smokin Joe]

$174K to work part time?
Not to mention the benefits package and retirement.

I really think he will be stunned at the absence of sympathy he is going to get.

We won't even talk about performance reviews.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Sigh... my issue isn't with them owning stock, it's with special rules being created for them in terms of being insiders. They should be treated like insiders and have to register trades and all that.

And then, instead of complaining about congress critters owning stock and all that, just mimic their trades yourself.

But bottom line, they should have to follow the same rules as insiders.

[libertybele]

$174K to work part time?
Not to mention the benefits package and retirement.

I really think he will be stunned at the absence of sympathy he is going to get.

We won't even talk about performance reviews.

 

[Wingnut]

What happens when you divide the $174K by the actual number of hours they spend working at the Capitol to get their hourly pay rate?

About as much as my college football scholarship was worth!(before the days of NIL).

We actually figured it out one night sitting around getting herbed up.  Between team meetings, weight training, watching film, actual practice, travel to and from games, 11 games a year, Spring practice.... it was about 2 bucks an hour in 1976 dollars.

If you love doing something...money doesn't matter.