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Is There Something Fishy About Trump's Big Buy Into Sushi Restaurant Chain?
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Among the thousands of President Donald Trump’s stock and securities trades made public in new financial disclosures, one particular catch had people asking questions: Kura Sushi USA. Food and restaurant establishments aren’t an anomaly within the Trump Organization’s portfolio. Among the transactions recorded in the first quarter of 2026 were investments in Chipotle, Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks, the Cheesecake Factory and more. But given the restaurant chain’s relatively low profile – and the president’s famous distaste for raw fish – some have wondered if the decision to buy shares in the conveyor belt sushi company’s American arm may have been a mistake by Trump’s bankers or his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is technically in charge of the trust. Of the approximately 3,700 investments disclosed by Trump, the purchase of Kura Sushi USA stock was rather sizeable. In fact, it was one of just 36 totaling between $1 million and $5 million. Some stock watchers noticed similarities between Kura Sushi USA’s name and those of other companies, such as Kura Oncology, a biotech firm, and Fujikura Ltd., a tech hardware firm that’s grown amid the AI boom. “Is Trump really suffering from dementia if he confuses Fujikura with Kura Sushi?” one Japanese user of Yahoo Finance boards joked, according to Futurism. Others compared the possible stock-buying snafu to when Trump acolyte Rudy Giuliani scheduled a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia instead of the Four Seasons Hotel (allegedly). Nevertheless, Kura Sushi USA’s stock rose over 5% after Trump’s purchase was made public. Trump has recently faced claims of ethical improprieties for pumping up investments in businesses he could have inside information on, such as government contractors like Amazon, Apple, Meta and Oracle. He’s also been criticized for buying stock in publicly traded companies and then praising those companies and their products. It’s unknown if he plans to do so with Kura Sushi USA. Representatives for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s questions about the investment. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.