Chuck Schumer says Donald Trump is “making inside trades on the stock market” while ordinary Americans make “tradeoffs at the supermarket.” He cited no trade, no filing and no date. It is an allegation, and the man making it is, in the Associated Press’s words, “poised to return as Senate majority leader next year.”

Hakeem Jeffries, in line to become House speaker, went further in the letter announcing his candidacy to House Democrats. “The days of the House functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump administration are over,” he wrote, and “the massive corruption the country has experienced from the Trump Cartel explains why very little is getting done to help everyday Americans.” He promised to target price gouging and to push a stock-trading ban for lawmakers, AP reported via PBS NewsHour on Nov. 5. AP also reports Jeffries “has not ruled out trying to impeach Trump for a third time.” BTP has not seen the original letter.

The market week that sharpened the charge

The Dow rose 1,104 points after Wednesday’s open and then fell more than 2,100 points on Thursday, Nov. 5. Trump called it “one of the Worst Days in History,” and The Hill’s headline quotes him telling investors “You only have yourselves to blame.” Schumer’s inside-trades charge, Jeffries’s trading-ban promise and Trump’s scolding of investors all point at one question: who profits when markets move on Washington decisions.

What voters said

In the AP Voter Poll of more than 100,000 voters, about half called government corruption “crucial” to their House vote; most of them backed the Democrat and about one-third the Republican. About 3 in 10 named the state of democracy as their top issue, and about 8 in 10 of those voters backed the Democrat. About 4 in 10 named the economy. Politico counted 252 House seats won by Democrats with races still uncalled.

The pushback

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said on Nov. 4: “If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people.” AP reports the White House “has long denied any wrongdoing,” and that Trump conceded Democrats “did a good job.” Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) warned, “we can’t turn this into just a vengeance tour.” Sen.-elect Annie Andrews (D-S.C.) told Fox’s Bret Baier, per The Hill, “I still very much believe it’s time for a generational change on both sides of the aisle.”

The test

A Congress that promises to expose insider profit has its own first move available: the stock-trading ban Jeffries promised. Check whether your House member has publicly committed to it. Then watch January. Does the first subpoena go to Trump’s trading, and is Schumer still the one holding the Senate gavel?