While questionable ethical practices are not completely free, Donald Trump has pushed us into the new lowlands. He forgives a felony of donating $1.8 million to the Trump campaign with his wife, but he accomplished it by breaking all the norms of a good government, often enriching himself, while often enriching himself. Advertise Teslas in the White House driveway. Or host a private dinner for the speculator who bought his new cryptocurrency.
Trump’s blatant violations were the crime of a modern-day president, and even his first term was overwhelmed. I remember the rage he had when he refused to sell his financial holdings or when he used a hotel in Washington. These movements seem to be more interesting than anything.
In trampling on historically appropriate action, Trump appears to be pursuing several agendas. Personal enrichment stands out: Imagine another president collecting sales cuts from the cryptocurrency sold in his likeness. There is a way he is expanding his power. He ignored or eliminated the large strip of rules that would hamper his freedom of action and his ability to place trusted acolite in key roles. And there are rewarding donors through amnesty and favors to clients.
I worked for the Washington Bureau during the time of Richard Nixon’s resignation, but even he was overthrown by his efforts to hide his wrongdoing – not engaged in such vast, sleazy practices.
Trump 2.0 corruption has not attracted the attention it deserves in the news barrage of Trump’s tariff war, his attacks on scientific research, and his senior appointee signal text chain. However, self-dealing is the decisive theme of this administration and therefore must be called. Like much of what Trump has done in other areas, American leaders are no longer able to trust them to follow the law, and are making an announcement to the world that their impact is for sale.
Just like in the post-Nixon era, when guardrails were established to prevent violations, the next president was able to decide to restore some of the sound government practices Trump had trampled on. But the damage he brings by, for example, by forgiveing ​​a donor or lining up in his pocket is irreversible.
The following shows that this is merely a sampling of what has been in the past 100 days.
He eliminated the guardrail
He turned the designation of legitimate federal employees into a loophole. By giving top officials such as Elon Musk the title “Special Government Employees,” Trump shuns the requirement that they publicly disclose their financial holdings and sell current conflicts before they can work in the administration.
He ended the ban, which stopped employees in the enforcement department from accepting gifts from lobbyists or seeking lobbying jobs for at least two years.
He loosened enforcement of laws that would curb foreign lobbying and bribery.
He fired potential resistance
He rejected the office chief, who said that the policy was a conflict of interest among senior officials.
He abandoned the head of the office, among other things, that protects whistleblowers and ensures political neutrality in the federal workplace.
He drove away nearly 20 nonpartisan inspector generals who were entrusted with eradicating corruption within the government.
He rewards his wealthiest donor
Remuneration donors are part of the presidential administration. Every president in my memory has appointed supporters as ambassadors. But once again, Trump is moving further.
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire with deep tentacles to SpaceX, gave the first committee $2 million and was appointed Head NASA, SpaceX’s biggest client.
Convicted felon Trevor Milton and his wife donated $1.8 million to the campaign, and Milton received an amnesty.
Lobbyist Brian Ballard raised more than $50 million for Trump’s campaign, and Trump handed out two Ballard clients a big win. He took office as a US ban on Chinese-owned Tiktok and killed his second effort to ban menthol cigarettes, a top priority for tobacco company RJ Reynolds.
Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire, who spent $277 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates, is demanding his own category.
As a special government employee, Musk is due to provide limited government services within 130 days a year. By law, government officials (even special government officials) cannot participate in government issues that directly affect their financial interests. That criminal law has not stopped Musk and his so-called government efficiency department from interacting with at least 10 agencies that oversee his business interests.
He set up SpaceX engineers at the Federal Aviation Administration and reviewed the air traffic control system. The FAA is reportedly considering cancelling Verizon’s $2.4 billion contract and updating its ageing communications infrastructure in favor of SpaceX’s StarLink products. (SpaceX denies taking over the contract.)
SpaceX is a major candidate to secure a large portion of Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense project. This could involve billions of revenue from winners.
X, Musk’s social media outlet has become the official source of government news. The White House welcomed reporters on the platform at a recent briefing, with at least 12 government agencies launching X accounts focused on Doge.
As Musk’s political activism began to fight off many potential customers of his electric car company Tesla, Trump lined up Tesla vehicles in the White House driveways and praised their interests. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick then urged Fox News viewers to buy Tesla shares.
Doge has nearly halved the team at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates self-driving cars. The agency is investigating whether Tesla’s autonomous driving technology played a role in pedestrian deaths in Arizona.
He’s all in cryptocurrency
Crypto critics argue that they show little value other than allowing criminal activity. Nevertheless, Trump has not wasted time eliminating industry regulatory oversight at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department, despite his family investing more than ever.
By allowing money to be delivered anonymously without bank participation, Crypto offers the possibility that individuals or foreign states can secretly concentrate money on Trump and his family. Additionally, Bloomberg News recently estimated that the Trump family’s crypto fate is approaching $1 billion.
On the eve of his inauguration he released $Trump and $Melania Memocoin. This is a kind of code derived from internet jokes and mascots. Next, the SEC announced that it would not regulate memokine. Then last week, Trump offered a private dinner at his golf club, offering another “special VIP tour” to Trump’s top 25 investors, surged the prices of the currency and enriched the family. (The tour was initially advertised as being in the White House. The word “White House” disappeared after that, but the rest of the award remained.)
The SEC has eliminated the crypto enforcement program and has terminated or suspended almost all crypto-related litigation, appeals and investigations. This includes a civil lawsuit against Justin San, a crypto entrepreneur who individually purchased $75 million worth of tokens tied to Trump’s family after the election.
The SEC has also suspended civil fraud cases against Vinance. This is a huge crypto exchange that pleaded guilty to money laundering violations and allowed terrorist funding, hacking and drug trafficking to multiply on the platform. Soon afterwards, the company met with Treasury officials to negotiate a business deal with Trump’s family, while also seeking more relaxed surveillance.
World Liberty Financial, the crypto company that Trump and his sons helped launch, said they sold $550 million worth of digital coins. The business entities linked to him earn 75% of their sales.
Trump’s family says they will partner with Singapore-based Crypto Exchange Crypto.com to introduce a series of funds, including Crypto and securities, with a focus on Americans.
The federal government’s “Crypto Czar,” David Sacks, Lutnick and Musk all have market connections. (Musk is named Doge after Memecoin.)
He’s always closed
Trump is reportedly on his way to raise $500 million for his political action committee.
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city, a new Trump Tower is ongoing, with plans for two more projects from the kingdom after Trump’s November election victory, all partnering with Saudi Arabian companies with close ties with the Saudi government.
Trump’s team asked British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer about signing a British open golf tournament at Scotland’s Turnberry Resort when he visited the White House.
He has posted newsmaking announcements about Truth Social, a company whose family owns significant shares.
It’s all apologies, but it’s a whimsical picture. The president is already setting new standards for grossly, potentially illegal behaviour that hits new lowest with metronomy regularity.
