US President Donald Trump’s portfolio was a hive of activity in the first quarter of this year. According to a recent report by the Associated Press, the president logged more than 3,600 stock market transactions or buy/sell orders, averaging 50 trades every single day the markets were open.

The trading, which saw an estimated $100 million change hands. Trump’s latest federal ethics filing reveals heavy investments in companies directly affected by his administration's policies, the report noted.

The Associated Press noted that his portfolio scooped up as much as $6 million in Nvidia. Interestingly, Trump green-lit the sale of the company's advanced chips to China last year. The tech giant's CEO, alongside the heads of Apple, Boeing, and Tesla, recently accompanied the president on a trip to China, and all four companies currently sit in his active portfolio, according to the Associated Press report.

Defence stocks were also in the list. Shares of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman were purchased while the US military supply chain was impacted by the Iran war.

Richard Painter, a former ethics adviser in the George W. Bush administration, told the Associated Press, “If he were defense secretary, he would be committing a crime.” Painter added, “Technically he can do this, but it is a fundamental breach of trust.” 

Federal law prohibits government employees from holding assets influenced by their policy work, but exempts the president, the report said.

A Trump family business spokesperson told the Associated Press that third-party managers have “sole and exclusive” control over the investment decisions.

“Neither President Trump, his family, nor The Trump Organization plays any role in selecting, directing, or approving specific investments,” said spokesperson Kimberly Benza. She added, “They receive no advance notice of trading activity and provide no input regarding investment decisions or portfolio management.”