deepfake video – A manipulated video circulating on X appears to show U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds endorsing insider trading for members of Congress, but a Donalds spokesperson says it is AI-altered and does not reflect his words.
A video clip described by social media users as evidence of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds endorsing insider trading has been shared thousands of times on X, raising questions about how quickly manipulated content can harden into political “facts.”
The clip, reposted by politicians and other users, appeared to show Donalds arguing that lawmakers should be allowed to cash in using sensitive information, tying the idea to luxury—“a bigger house,” “a Bentley,” and “investment properties in Miami and Aspen.”
But Donalds did not say those lines. A spokesperson for the congressman says the video is fake and was altered using artificial intelligence.
The manipulated clip includes comments that attributed to Donalds: “Insider trading should absolutely be allowed for members of Congress.. Look, the salary, it doesn’t cut it anymore.. If I happen to make millions because I’m privy to sensitive government information. well. that’s called initiative… I want a bigger house.. I want to drive a Bentley.”
Those words were amplified beyond ordinary users. Former Florida state Sen. Paula Dockery shared the video, and Tennessee state Sen. Heidi Campbell also reposted it—her post is now unavailable.
The spokesperson for Donalds said the clip was made using AI and does not reflect the congressman’s actual statements.
The real exchange Donalds gave comes from a CBN News interview on May 8.. In that portion. Donalds instead spoke at length about his family and upbringing. saying: “You know. my mother. she has three children.. I’m the middle child.. My parents never married… But my mom just did everything that she could.. She really believed in me, believed in, really, my abilities, thought education was gonna be key for my success.”
For Chris Nelson. the conservative activist and writer who first posted the clip on X with the caption “Byron Donalds says insider trading should ABSOLUTELY BE ALLOWED for members of Congress. ” the video initially carried the weight of authenticity.. Nelson told PolitiFact that “It looks real to me and it rings true about Byron’s beliefs on insider trading.”
When commenters flagged the possibility that the video involved AI, Nelson replied with what read as sarcasm, saying, “No way!!” and “Byron would never be this honest in real life.” Nelson previously ran for Fort Lauderdale mayor in 2024 and later dropped out.
The earliest version PolitiFact found was tied to an X account with 21 followers that regularly posts deepfakes of Donalds. Within minutes, Nelson re-shared the manipulated video.
Separate from the viral deepfake, Donalds has previously addressed insider trading questions in his own words.. In 2025, he said he doesn’t trade securities but that he has a broker with trading authority.. He said he supports banning Congress members and their families from initiating trades. while allowing members to have brokers who trade on their behalf.
He made similar remarks in December 2025, adding that he has “always opposed congressional trading” and saying, “I think you do have to make an allowance for members who give third-party authorization to a financial professional.”
The dispute over Donalds’ record also predates the deepfake. In 2024, the Campaign Legal Center filed an ethics complaint alleging Donalds violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act by failing to properly disclose stock trades amounting to $1.6 million.
A spokesperson for Donalds told Business Insider that Donalds did not directly make those trades and said he was “working to reconcile any outstanding infractions.”
Still. the central claim driving the latest shares—that Donalds says insider trading should be allowed because he wants wealth and luxury—doesn’t match what the congressman actually said.. The clip circulating online does not show him making the “insider trading should absolutely be allowed for members of Congress” argument.
Byron Donalds insider trading deepfake AI video X STOCK Act Campaign Legal Center ethics complaint Florida gubernatorial race