The doors of power have swung wide open for Donald Trump's brazen corruption, allowing his administration to flaunt ethics and norms with impunity. In the years following his presidency, the former US leader has continued to flout traditional standards of governance, setting a disturbing precedent for future politicians.
In 2017, Trump took a significant risk by not placing his assets in a blind trust, opting instead to leave them in the hands of his children. This decision sparked lawsuits and drew criticism from #Resistance activists who cited the emoluments clause of the Constitution as justification for their concerns. However, after the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits and Merrick Garland's slow rollout of investigations, Trump's children continued to reap financial benefits, further eroding trust in the administration.
Since taking office again, the Trump administration has consistently demonstrated a lack of commitment to ethical guidelines, with the presidential transition process delayed due to inadequate internal ethics guidance. The inauguration fund's coffers were filled with millions from donors eager to curry favor with the president. This lax attitude towards governance has set a tone for the entire administration.
One notable example is the Trump administration's deal with a corporate benefactor who donated $130 million to stave off a major political liability and cover government service member paychecks during a shutdown. The office space once occupied by Eleanor Roosevelt has been demolished, making way for a luxurious ballroom funded by corporate donations from firms like BlackRock, Booz Allen Hamilton, and tech giants Apple and Amazon.
The Trump administration's approach to governance can be characterized as a "flood the zone" strategy, where every instance of corruption is dismissed in favor of the next scandal. This approach has become increasingly difficult to tackle, rendering it almost impossible to address any single case of wrongdoing without another emerging before one is fully resolved.
Critics are now calling for Democrats to adopt an anti-corruption agenda that goes beyond simply condemning corporate influence and corruption. To effectively root out undue elite influence, Democrats must take concrete steps to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and ensure the rule of law is upheld.
The issue is not merely a matter of electing more reasonable politicians but rather addressing the inherent flaws in the justice system's structure. As long as there are two parallel tracks of justice, with some groups facing severe consequences for their actions while others enjoy impunity, the game will continue to be rigged.
Trump's second term has set an alarming precedent for authoritarian governance, with court orders being ignored and MAGA loyalists placed in charge of key government agencies. News outlets that challenge Trump's rule have been banned or investigated, threatening press freedom.
As The Intercept continues to cover these developments, it is crucial to acknowledge the challenge at hand: defending democracy against the forces of corruption and authoritarianism. By joining our independent efforts to hold those in power accountable, you can help us continue to report on these critical issues without corporate influence.
In 2017, Trump took a significant risk by not placing his assets in a blind trust, opting instead to leave them in the hands of his children. This decision sparked lawsuits and drew criticism from #Resistance activists who cited the emoluments clause of the Constitution as justification for their concerns. However, after the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits and Merrick Garland's slow rollout of investigations, Trump's children continued to reap financial benefits, further eroding trust in the administration.
Since taking office again, the Trump administration has consistently demonstrated a lack of commitment to ethical guidelines, with the presidential transition process delayed due to inadequate internal ethics guidance. The inauguration fund's coffers were filled with millions from donors eager to curry favor with the president. This lax attitude towards governance has set a tone for the entire administration.
One notable example is the Trump administration's deal with a corporate benefactor who donated $130 million to stave off a major political liability and cover government service member paychecks during a shutdown. The office space once occupied by Eleanor Roosevelt has been demolished, making way for a luxurious ballroom funded by corporate donations from firms like BlackRock, Booz Allen Hamilton, and tech giants Apple and Amazon.
The Trump administration's approach to governance can be characterized as a "flood the zone" strategy, where every instance of corruption is dismissed in favor of the next scandal. This approach has become increasingly difficult to tackle, rendering it almost impossible to address any single case of wrongdoing without another emerging before one is fully resolved.
Critics are now calling for Democrats to adopt an anti-corruption agenda that goes beyond simply condemning corporate influence and corruption. To effectively root out undue elite influence, Democrats must take concrete steps to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and ensure the rule of law is upheld.
The issue is not merely a matter of electing more reasonable politicians but rather addressing the inherent flaws in the justice system's structure. As long as there are two parallel tracks of justice, with some groups facing severe consequences for their actions while others enjoy impunity, the game will continue to be rigged.
Trump's second term has set an alarming precedent for authoritarian governance, with court orders being ignored and MAGA loyalists placed in charge of key government agencies. News outlets that challenge Trump's rule have been banned or investigated, threatening press freedom.
As The Intercept continues to cover these developments, it is crucial to acknowledge the challenge at hand: defending democracy against the forces of corruption and authoritarianism. By joining our independent efforts to hold those in power accountable, you can help us continue to report on these critical issues without corporate influence.
They just keep finding ways to grease the wheels of power and get away with it. Leaving assets unblind trusted was a huge risk play and now his kids are reaping the rewards - talk about nepotism! 
The whole inauguration fund thing is just another example of how they're playing by their own rules, not the law. And don't even get me started on that corporate benefactor who got to donate $130 million to cover up a scandal... it's like they're buying influence 
The flood the zone strategy is just a bunch of BS - when will someone actually take responsibility for the corruption? 
they're just letting corruption run wild and it's getting out of control! the fact that his kids are still making bank off their dad's shady dealings is just ridiculous. and don't even get me started on the corporate donors who are basically buying influence and getting away with it. this whole "flood the zone" strategy is a joke, they're not addressing the corruption issue at all, they're just moving on to the next scandal. we need serious change in this country and that means taking down the corrupt systems in place 
they're literally making a mockery of everything that's supposed to be ethical about governance - if the supreme court is just gonna let them get away with this stuff, what's next? 
His admin is all about corrupting the system & it's getting super scary 
I mean, have you seen that ballroom in the White House? 
Who needs ethics when you've got corporate cash flowing in 
Anyway, I'm low-key worried about our democracy right now 
Need more oversight & accountability ASAP 
. I mean, he's just flaunting the system left and right like it's an open challenge 
. It's like they're saying "Hey, if you want to play with us, you gotta pay the price 
. It's all very shady 
. And what's with the corporate donors getting to shape policy like they own the place 
? I mean, I know people love to hate on corporations but come on, can't we do better than this? 
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. Like, one scandal after another without anyone even trying to stop them 
. And now Democrats are like "Oh no, let's just sit back and watch as Trump does whatever he wants" 
. Like, one track is all about Trump's pals getting away with everything while everyone else is held to some crazy high standard 
. It's just not right 
Trump admin's lack of ethics is a huge red flag for the country. I mean, if they're just gonna flaunt the rules and reap the benefits for their own families, it sets a terrible tone for future politicians. And let's be real, $130 million from corporate donors to keep government workers paid during a shutdown? That's some serious corruption 
. what's needed is a complete overhaul of the justice system to make sure everyone is held to the same standards 
. news outlets should be free to report on these issues without fear of reprisal or corporate influence 
The only way to stop this is for Democrats to take concrete steps to strengthen enforcement mechanisms & make sure the rule of law is upheld 
and trump's corrupt admin is just making it worse 
where no one gets held accountable for their actions, and the justice system is basically just a joke 
the fact that he can just ignore court orders and have news outlets banned or investigated is straight up terrifying 
. When we let people flout the rules and get away with it, it erodes trust in institutions and creates an environment where abuse of power can flourish.
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. The whole "flood the zone" strategy sounds like a recipe for disaster to me - it's like they're trying to sweep everything under the rug and hope nobody notices 
. I'm all for transparency and accountability, but this is just getting out of hand 
. If we let Trump get away with this kind of behavior, then what's to stop them? It's like the whole system is rigged against us 
. Anything less is just a waste of time 
.
What's next?!