Headlines from reputed sources like The New Yorker portray Donald Trump as a proponent of ‘plunder politics’, while The New York Times highlights the immense profit the Trumps are making from the presidency. Meanwhile, The Atlantic dubs the Trump administration 2.0 as one of the most unscrupulous in the nation’s history. Even if Hunter Biden exploited his father’s reputation for personal gain, it doesn’t excuse the evident reality that the Trump administration is immersed in questionable activities only five months into the office.
Amidst campaign rhetoric where the president vehemently condemned the alleged ‘Biden Crime Family’, the ‘Trump Crime Family’, as it is now known, has effectively taken over the White House and is quickly expanding its reach globally. The reality is that, although other first families have indeed profited from their tenures, none have commercialized their time in office quite as unabashedly as the Trumps. The extent and scale of their commercial enterprises are truly unparalleled.
This unapologetic drive for self-aggrandizement lies in certain distinct domains, beginning with the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, a provision that prevents presidents from profiting from dealings with foreign entities. Still, Trump was brazen enough to accept a luxury plane from Qatar, designed not just for official use but also as a contribution to his presidential library post-tenure.
The plane, handed over to the Air Force, is valued at $200 million by experts, a sum that surpasses the total value of foreign gifts to all previous American presidents combined. Thus, it’s plain to see how Trump directly gains from global alliances, as stated by seasoned foreign correspondent, Anne Applebaum. Applebaum illustrates this with an example of a golf competition at a Trump property, bankrolled by Saudi interests.
During this event, the president came into contact with various Saudi investors and clients, fundamental to his family’s extensive real estate business. Applebaum cautiously conjectures that these actions might not exactly constitute the purchase of American foreign policy. However, there’s no denying that these maneuvers were implemented with the clear objective of influencing it.
Another prominent type of corruption lies in the practice of selling the president’s accessibility and the engagement opportunities with his counsel. Perhaps the most transparent and financially rewarding undertaking by the Trump Crime Family is deeply rooted in the complex world of cryptocurrency. A recent report from watchdog organization, State Democracy Defenders Action, estimated that nearly 40% of Trump’s net worth, equating to about $2.9 billion, is tied up in crypto assets.
This wealth is set to rise as high-net-worth investors from Asia and the Middle East line up to purchase his meme coins, along with a slice of his time. Columbia Law professor Richard Briffault, an ethics guru, told The Guardian that Trump is effectively selling access to his very self as a means to increase the profitability of his memecoin.
Briffault describes this as ‘doubly corrupt’ as it seems that people pay for the chance to meet Trump, America’s primary regulator. This phenomenon is entirely unprecedented and uniquely troubling. Trump is not only dismantling ethical restrictions but also blocking scrutiny and investigations.
Trump has strategically ensured that no formal inquiries take place by dismissing government inspectors general and ethics watchdogs. He has installed loyal supporters to occupy key positions in the Justice Department, FBI, and regulatory agencies while leveraging a Republican-dominated Congress unlikely to permit investigative hearings.
In this environment, the Trump Crime Family operates in open disregard for established rules and protocols, as confirmed recently by Donald Trump Jr. In his words, their opponents will continue attempting to overthrow them regardless, so they might as well ‘play the game.’
However, the game is heavily tilted to their favor. In the realm of cryptocurrency, the outcome is predetermined: when the virtual coin is flipped, Trump wins if it’s heads, and if it lands on tails, the rest lose out. This portrayal of the ongoing situation delineates a world where outcomes are less random than they appear and are heavily skewed in favor of those holding the power.