By Richard Luthmann
The financial markets are buzzing with speculation after recent trading patterns in DJT stock eerily mirrored the activity seen just before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, this past July.
Short positions on Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ: DJT) surged dramatically in the days leading up to the July 13 Butler PA rally, where Trump was grazed by a bullet fired from a nearby rooftop.
Now, similar stock moves have reignited concerns that something dangerous may be in the works.
In the weeks before the Butler shooting, short positions on DJT stock jumped by 7 million shares. Just before this latest suspicious activity, short positions surged again by 12 million shares, raising eyebrows across Wall Street.
John Tabacco, a well-known Wall Street insider, pointed out the shocking similarities between the two periods.
“In the two weeks leading up to the Butler assassination attempt, we saw short positions on DJT stock jump by 7 million shares,” Tabacco noted.
“Now, just in the last two weeks, shorts have surged again, this time by 12 million shares—making it a $400 million bet against Trump. No reasonable trader would be betting against Trump right now with every poll showing him gaining ground. This pattern is eerily similar to the one we saw before the Butler incident, and it looks to me like someone knows something is coming. When you compare the two-week charts, the moves are almost identical.”
The Financial Red Flags
The massive shorting of DJT stock has triggered widespread speculation that entities with inside knowledge could be betting on Trump’s downfall, not just politically but physically. Short sellers, who profit when a stock's price falls, appear to be betting heavily on a major disruption to Trump’s campaign, leading to a significant dip in DJT stock.
The Butler assassination attempt fits this narrative perfectly, as a successful hit on Trump would have likely tanked his media company's stock.
Austin Private Wealth, an asset management firm based in Texas, found itself in the spotlight after reporting a short of 12 million shares of DJT stock just before the Butler rally. The firm later claimed it was a clerical error, but some investors and insiders are skeptical.
“The timing is too perfect,” one market watcher said.
The Iran Connection: Financial and Political Motives
The implications extend beyond just financial markets. Trump’s decision in 2020 to order the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani made him a marked man for retaliation. For years, Iran has publicly vowed revenge for Soleimani’s death.
In September, a would-be assassin with apparent pro-Iranian sympathies, Ryan Wesley Routh, was caught attempting to target Trump at his Florida golf course. Court documents revealed Routh had written that Iran should assassinate Trump for pulling the United States out of the nuclear deal.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner recently called for the FBI to investigate any potential connections between the shorting of DJT stock, the Butler assassination attempt, and Iran's threats against Trump.
“Saying that there have been no substantiated ties doesn’t mean that the investigation has concluded that there are no ties,” Turner said in a statement.
Iran’s deep-seated motives to see Trump removed from power—combined with the financial movements that suggest a calculated bet on Trump’s demise—have added fuel to the fire of conspiracy theories and genuine security concerns alike.
The Broader Implications for Trump and His Campaign
For Trump, the implications of these stock moves and assassination attempts are stark. Political assassinations have historically been rare but highly destabilizing in U.S. history. The convergence of political, financial, and international motives against Trump makes him a uniquely high-risk target in this election cycle.
Financial manipulation of Trump’s media empire could also damage his ability to fund and manage his campaign, adding another layer of vulnerability. The massive short positions, if successful, could wipe out millions from DJT’s valuation and harm Trump's financial standing at a critical time.
Tabacco’s ominous warning, coupled with the growing evidence of both financial and political motivations, underscores the precarious position Trump finds himself in.
“The question now is whether Iran or other state actors are behind these moves, betting big on Trump’s downfall,” Tabacco said. “This is not just about stock manipulation. This is about real political risk.”
A Convergence of Threats
As the DJT stock continues to face volatility and political tensions rise ahead of the 2024 election, the confluence of financial maneuvering and physical threats to Trump cannot be ignored. With the FBI's investigation into Iran’s possible involvement reopened and fresh doubts about whether the latest financial moves foreshadow another attempt on Trump’s life, all eyes are on both Wall Street and the campaign trail.
For now, the only certainty is that Trump remains a marked man, financially and physically, and his enemies—domestic and foreign—are still in play.
Share this post