Jesse Watters faced pushback online after he issued a passionate defense of Donald Trump’s questionable stock trades, finding himself labeled a “bootlicker” for his response.
During Tuesday’s episode of Fox News’ “The Five,” the conservative broadcaster addressed Trump’s investment portfolio, which made headlines after it was revealed that it made more than 3,600 trades during the first months of the president’s second term. However, Watters defended Trump’s investments at-length, noting there was “nothing suspicious” about the money moves.
“I want to talk about the allegation that Trump’s trading stocks illegally,” Watters said. “So, you can see what he bought and when he bought it. It’s all right here. There’s nothing wrong with what he did.”
He continued: “So, they say he bought oil. OK? He bought oil after the ceasefire when oil had gone down. Now, if there was something nefarious, he would’ve bought oil before the war. And then sold it at its high and dumped it, he didn’t do that. Everybody got into oil then. And then they say, ‘Oh he bought gold, T-bills and cash.’ That’s what everybody did during the war. It’s a hedge, it’s a safe haven.”
Per Watters, Trump “actually lost money,” adding, “it’s nothing suspicious at all.”
“So, if you want to compare that to Nancy Pelosi, who came into office with no money and then all of a sudden earned $300 million. Well, how did she do that? Because Pauly P [husband Paul Pelosi] is her investment manager,” Watters sounded off. “Trump is not an investment manager. Pauly P founded an investment firm in San Francisco, which has made an absolute fortune in perfectly timed trades involving the tech sector, making call options.”
As Watters concluded his defense, he stated that Trump’s investments were what “anybody who has a diversified portfolio does with their money.”
It didn’t take long for the internet to lay into Watters for this explanation.
“I’ve been waiting to use this meme — thanks,” one critic wrote on X, posting an image of Watters’ face that was labeled “bootlicker.” The image also shared the definition of bootlicker, which read: “A person who shows excessive flattery or obedience toward someone in power in order to gain advantage.”
I’ve been waiting to use this meme—thanks! https://t.co/Dn3PoLXU2X pic.twitter.com/a9c8qKPyTu
— 🇺🇸 BLUE VANGUARD 🇺🇸 (@Thomasstjames3) May 19, 2026
Another responded with, “Big difference is that Trump is using social media to manipulate markets in his favor. Watters knows this but he’s a f–king hack.” A third commented, “No shame with these people. The mental gymnastics you must perform to be a Trumper should earn a gold medal in the Olympics. The fact we have to live amongst these people is disgusting.”
A fourth chimed in with, “True cult-like behavior. Always a ‘rules for thee not for me’ attitude.”
Yet, Watters wasn’t alone in his defense of Trump, as Vice President JD Vance also downplayed the president’s investments. During a press briefing, Vance was asked how the administration can argue that they’re cleaning up corruption “when the president seems to be talking up stocks that he owns, selling them and enriching himself,” prompting a strong response from the vice president.
“Come on, man, have a little bit of objectivity in the way that you ask these questions,” Vance hit back. “Because, there are a lot of things in that speech masquerading as a question that didn’t actually get asked, okay? Number one. The president doesn’t sit at the Oval Office on his computer, on his Robinhood account, buying and selling stocks. That’s absurd. He has independent wealth advisors that manage his money. He is a wealthy person. He has had success in business. He’s not making the stock trades himself.”
Reporter: How can you argue to Americans that you're cleaning up corruption, when the president seems to be talking up stocks that he owns, selling them and enriching himself?
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 19, 2026
Vance: Come on, man, have a little bit of objectivity in the way that you ask these questions. The… pic.twitter.com/EbsTFadbPh
Watch Vance’s full response above.
Like Watters, Vance also faced flak online for his defense of Trump, with one critic noting: “So it’s not corruption if he instructs someone else to facilitate the trades for him? This is exactly what corruption looks like.”
