Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims Wednesday that President Donald Trump made Iran war decisions based on personal financial interests, calling the Democratic allegation “completely false” during a contentious House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) questioned whether Rubio had warned Trump that military action against Iran could raise costs for Americans and whether Trump’s personal stock holdings created a conflict of interest. Rubio denied having any such conversation.
“Not once. Just to be clear, not a single time, not even for a millisecond,” Rubio said. “Has the president ever discussed his personal economics and relations to war or any public policy that he’s made, for that matter? And I’ve been in every one of his foreign policy meetings for the most part.”
Meeks’ line of questioning followed the release of Trump’s annual financial disclosure, which showed more than 3,600 securities transactions executed in investment accounts managed for the president’s benefit during the first quarter of 2026. The White House has said the accounts are managed by outside financial professionals and that Trump does not direct individual trades.
Rubio told Meeks he was unaware of the president’s stock purchases and questioned the basis of the allegation. “I don’t deal that. And I don’t even know what you’re saying is true,” Rubio said. When Meeks said Trump’s financial information was public, Rubio replied, “You say so. I don’t read the president’s financial disclosure, but I don’t believe that.”
The hearing grew increasingly heated as Democratic lawmakers pressed Rubio on a range of subjects. At one point, Rubio told the panel, “Is this the Foreign Affairs Committee, or is this like a circus? What is this?”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) displayed video clips he said showed Trump falling asleep during meetings and accused Rubio of misleading Congress. Rubio denied the president had ever fallen asleep in his presence, saying Trump “literally doesn’t sleep” and “works day and night, long hours every single day.”
Lieu also challenged Trump’s cognitive fitness. Rubio responded that “we had a cognitively impaired president in office a few years ago,” an apparent reference to former President Joe Biden.
Later, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) questioned the administration’s transparency around Venezuela oil contracts and alleged corruption involving Trump allies. Rubio called the accusations “false” and “defamatory.”
The hearing covered the State Department’s proposed budget and the U.S. Conflict with Iran. Meeks did not cite a specific stock purchase or financial transaction connected to the Iran operation during the exchange.
