Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett took aim at Capitol Hill’s financial ethics with a colorful Southern idiom while defending President Donald Trump’s unlikely sit-down with a prominent New York socialist.
Appearing on The Sunday Briefing, Burchett blasted the current state of congressional stock trading, labeling the legislative body “crooked as a dog’s leg.” His push to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks has found an unexpected ally in the White House, with Burchett claiming Trump has been a “very vocal supporter” of the measure from day one.
“You look at the war in Ukraine, look at our missile defense system… guess who owns stock in a lot of those missile defense systems?” Burchett asked, noting that members of both parties often see portfolio returns that would baffle professional investors on Wall Street. He cited figures suggesting the average congressional trader sees returns upwards of 600%, contrasting the lack of oversight they face with the red tape he encounters just trying to sell handmade skateboards.
“Me and AOC are together on something,” Burchett joked about the bipartisan nature of the issue. “Hell’s just frozen over.”
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The conversation shifted from financial ethics to political strategy as the congressman fielded questions about President Trump’s recent Oval Office meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The friendly meeting between the Republican leader and the democratic socialist shocked observers on both sides of the aisle.
Burchett, however, dismissed concerns that the meeting might alienate GOP voters or undermine midterms messaging. Instead, he framed it as a masterstroke by the “negotiator in chief.”
“I think he sees working with him as better than trying to destroy New York,” Burchett said, arguing that Trump recognizes the city’s vital role in global commerce. He suggested that if both political bases are “scratching their heads,” it’s likely a positive step.
When pressed on the contrast between Trump’s embrace of Mamdani and his recent public break with longtime ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, Burchett defended the “big tent” nature of the Republican Party.
Unlike the Democrats, who he claimed use a “stick and carrot” approach to enforce uniformity, Burchett argued the GOP’s strength lies in its tolerance for internal vocal disagreement—even if the President remains, as Burchett put it, “the biggest dog in the pound.”
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