President Donald Trump on Monday rang the opening bells for the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq from the Oval Office, a symbolic act that reflects how he has increasingly tied his presidency to the stock market.
Stock Market Performance
The S&P 500 stock index posted gains of 17.9% in 2025, but that came after annual returns of 25% in 2024 and 26.3% in 2023, during the presidency of Democrat Joe Biden. The benchmark stock index has risen roughly 10% so far this year.
With high inflation hurting Trump’s popularity, the Republican president has tried to get more Americans to focus on their 401(k) investments, claiming that his policies should get the credit for any gains, particularly as the November midterm elections draw closer.
Trump Accounts
The act of ringing the opening bell suggests why the president’s emphasis on the stock market might not help his party much with voters this fall. The Oval Office event is aimed at promoting the launch of Trump Accounts, which were created as a vehicle for children to have investments in stock indexes as part of Republicans’ big 2025 tax and spending cuts bill.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
