Abby Phillip told CNN viewers she was stunned by Dell’s dramatic stock rally after Donald Trump bought shares and publicly urged people to buy Dell products, saying the sequence would have been viewed as a scandal under Joe Biden. CNN’s graphic showed Trump purchased $1M–$5M of stock on Feb. 10 at about $122 a share and the stock climbed to roughly $420 following a $9.7B Pentagon contract and stronger-than-expected earnings. Panelists disagreed: a National Review columnist defended Dell’s long Pentagon ties and a projected $400M taxpayer saving, while others compared coverage to reactions over Hunter Biden and questioned optics.
Abby Phillip Reacts to Dell’s Surge After Trump Investment: ‘Would Have Been a Scandal’ Under Biden
CNN anchor Abby Phillip expressed surprise at the dramatic rise in Dell Technologies’ share price after former President Donald Trump invested in the company and publicly encouraged supporters to buy its products. Phillip suggested the sequence of events — a personal investment, public endorsements, a large Pentagon contract and a sharp stock rally — would have drawn immediate scandal accusations if it had happened under President Joe Biden.
What happened? CNN displayed a chart showing that Trump bought between $1 million and $5 million of Dell stock on Feb. 10, when shares traded at roughly $122 each. The stock has since surged: it closed around $420 per share after Dell won a roughly $9.7 billion Pentagon contract and reported earnings that beat Wall Street expectations. CNN’s graphics did not note that Trump publicly told supporters to “go out and buy a Dell computer” on Feb. 19 and repeated the exhortation on May 8; the stock is up about 254% since his first public remark.
On-air reaction — Phillip said, 'Just take a look at these charts,' adding that the price action was visually clear even to viewers without deep stock-market knowledge. She outlined the timeline: Trump’s investment and public endorsements, Dell’s Pentagon contract award, and the company’s blowout earnings — then the stock continued to climb. 'If any of this happened under Joe Biden’s administration... it would have been a scandal,' she said.
Panel Pushback and Context
National Review columnist Caroline Downey pushed back on the implication that the sequence was inherently corrupt. She noted Dell’s longstanding relationship with the Pentagon — arguing that Dell has managed government systems for decades, which explains repeat contract awards — and said the Pentagon deal is expected to save taxpayers roughly $400 million.
Other panelists expressed different concerns. Comedian and podcaster Paul Mecurio remarked, 'If this were Hunter Biden, you’d be going berserk,' drawing a contrast in how similar stories are covered depending on who is involved. Former Trump deputy press secretary Harrison Fields suggested critics focused on Trump’s investments should instead direct scrutiny at other members of Congress he described as having questionable investments, citing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
Whether viewed as troubling optics or routine contracting, the segment highlighted competing perspectives on the ethics and perception of a former president’s private investments coinciding with major government business and public endorsements.
Key facts: Trump reportedly bought $1M–$5M of Dell stock on Feb. 10 at about $122 per share; Trump publicly encouraged purchases on Feb. 19 and May 8; Dell later won a roughly $9.7 billion Pentagon contract and posted strong earnings; its shares rose to roughly $420, an increase of about 254% since February.
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