Trump Media Stock Crashes in Sign of Struggling Election Prospects
Donald Trump’s media business isn’t doing so well—and neither is his campaign.
Are Wall Street traders planning for a Kamala Harris win?
Trump Media & Technology Group stock was halted twice Thursday morning as its value dropped nearly 14 percent. Just the day before, the stock plummeted more than 20 percent after a multiweek rise, decreasing Donald Trump’s net worth by $1 billion.
Trump has 114.5 million shares, or roughly 57 percent, of TMTG, the media group that operates Trump’s right-wing social media platform Truth Social. Prior to Wednesday’s plunge, Trump Media was valued higher than Elon Musk’s X, as investors flocked to the meme stock.
In the real world, the company has been bleeding out, struggling to raise revenue and losing money. But experts say the share value is less a reflection of the credibility of the business and more a measure of traders’ expectations about the upcoming election.
“There are no fundamentals behind this company. It doesn’t have a path to profitability. It’s just driven by commentary, and by hopes and dreams,” trader Dennis Dick told Reuters in September.
The stock “currently serves primarily as a proxy for the election,” the research group S3 Partners wrote on Tuesday. “Trump and Media Group (DJT) stock, closely tied to Trump’s election chances, faces high squeeze risk due to limited float and elevated short interest.”
There’s no company news that caused the drop in the share price. So if the stock really is a barometer for the election, it seems like traders might be feeling the vibe shift.
Notably, Trump can now choose to cut his losses and sell his shares at any time. But, predictably, it seems he’ll bet on himself.