It was one of the most unexpected moments of President Donald Trump’s record-breaking State of the Union address Tuesday night: Sen. Elizabeth Warren rising to her feet and applauding.
Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and progressive standard-bearer, has been one of Trump’s most consistent and outspoken critics in the Senate. Yet when the president called on Congress to pass the Stop Insider Trading Act, she stood and clapped — a moment that immediately caught the attention of lawmakers and viewers alike.
“As we ensure that all Americans can profit from a rising stock market, let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit using inside information. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay,” Trump declared from the House chamber.
The proposal would prohibit members of Congress, along with their spouses and dependent children, from buying publicly traded stocks. It would also require lawmakers and their immediate family members to provide seven days’ public notice before selling any stock holdings.
Warren has long supported similar measures aimed at restricting congressional stock trading, making the issue one of the rare areas where her position overlaps with Trump’s call for reform.
Other Democrats joined in the applause, prompting a visibly surprised reaction from the president.
“They stood up for that — I can’t believe it,” Trump said. “Did Nancy Pelosi stand up for that?”
“Doubt it,” he added.
The contrast speaks volumes.
Trump’s SOTU resembles a personal tantrum, as he rambles about a nonexistent ‘third term’ like a wannabe dictator and promotes division.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is leading with integrity and real class, not ego, clapping for a congressional stock… pic.twitter.com/li9L1pVxau
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) February 25, 2026
The legislation has already cleared a House committee but is still awaiting a full vote in the lower chamber.
Republicans have frequently criticized Rep. Nancy Pelosi over stock trades made by her husband that critics have described as unusually well-timed. According to Quiver Quantitative, Pelosi’s net worth exceeds $269 million, making her one of the wealthiest lawmakers in Congress. During Trump’s remark, Pelosi remained seated, appearing visibly displeased.
The exchange added another chapter to the longstanding rivalry between Trump and the former House speaker. In 2020, Pelosi famously tore up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union address on the House floor in full view of television cameras, an image that became emblematic of the deep partisan divide.
While most Democrats largely withheld applause throughout the speech, there were scattered moments of bipartisan reaction. Warren was also seen standing when Trump reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Still, tension dominated much of the evening. Several Democratic lawmakers interrupted the president’s remarks, including Reps. Al Green, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. For the second consecutive year, Green was escorted from the chamber — this time after waving a sign reading, “Black People Aren’t Apes!” referencing a recent controversy surrounding a Truth Social post.
Despite the disruptions, the insider trading proposal stood out as one of the few issues that briefly cut across party lines. For a night defined largely by division, Warren’s standing ovation served as a rare flash of bipartisan agreement — and a reminder that even in today’s polarized climate, certain reforms can still draw applause from both sides of the aisle.
