Charles Gasparino, a Fox Business senior correspondent, reported that the Trump administration privately briefed Wall Street executives on trade deal progress, specifically mentioning an impending agreement with India. This information, according to Gasparino, was not publicly available.
Gasparino cited unnamed senior Wall Street executives with White House ties as sources. He indicated that the India deal might serve as a model for future agreements with Japan and other nations. The report also notes that the Treasury Secretary's office neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
The news comes amidst market volatility due to uncertainty surrounding Trump's tariffs and trade policies. Gasparino defended his reporting against critics who questioned whether the main story was the early access given to Wall Street, rather than the deals themselves. He argued that the White House giving Wall Street early access to such information is inherently newsworthy and problematic.
Some critics, like Joe Weisenthal from Bloomberg, argued that such discussions were common during the financial crisis. Gasparino retorted, emphasizing his reporting expertise on Wall Street and criticizing what he called a lack of similar outrage in other contexts.