Hegseth fires back at Warren’s insider trading comments tied to Iran war: ‘No one owns me’

By Fox News · Fox News

War Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully denied allegations that he or others may have profited from the war with Iran during a heated Senate exchange Thursday, telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that "no one owns me" as she pressed him on what she said was suspicious trading activity tied to the conflict. Warren pointed to what she described as a pattern of large, well-timed oil trades occurring minutes before public announcements by President Donald Trump related to the war, suggesting the possibility that insiders were using nonpublic information to profit. The exchange reflects growing scrutiny in Washington over whether sensitive information tied to the Iran conflict could be used for financial gain, as well as broader concerns about ethics rules governing senior officials and lawmakers. "In just the space of minutes, it looks like insiders have been making out like bandits, using secret information about the war," Warren said. She pressed Hegseth repeatedly on whether he had any explanation for the activity "other than insider trading." Hegseth declined to engage directly with the premise, saying the department had operated "completely aboveboard" and emphasizing that his focus remained on military operations rather than financial markets. He added that safeguarding sensitive information is taken "very seriously." "What happens in markets … is not something we're involved in," Hegseth said. The exchange escalated when Warren referenced reporting about Hegseth’s own financial dealings, including a claim that a broker attempted to invest in a defense-related fund ahead of the conflict. "That entire story is false," Hegseth responded. "Any insinuation that I have ever profited … I don't do it for money. I don't do it for profit. I don't do it for stocks." He added: "No one owns me. No one owns this department, no one owns this president." Warren’s line of questioning follows recent reporting that raised questions about Hegseth’s financial dealings ahead of the…