CORRUPTION & GRIFT
Trump’s Normalization of Self Interest at the Taxpayer’s Expense
Welcome Friends,
Here we are in the United States of America where corruption and grift are on display, day in and day out.
Because corruption does not always require a paper bag full of cash slid across a table.
Sometimes the currency is allegiance.
Sometimes silence.
Sometimes future usefulness.
This brand of corruption thrives on “not asking for permission, nor begging forgiveness” but rather violating all that has been sacred for 250 years within the pages of the constitution.
What we are witnessing now is not subtle corruption hidden in dark corners of government. This is corruption performed out loud. In broad daylight. Almost daring the public to object.
Corrupt leaders are shameless, the trait that allows them to be outlandish.
Today, the United States Treasury increasingly appears to be treated like a slush fund.
Billions of dollars for vanity projects; Golden Arches, Reflecting Pools and legacy statues, while claiming we cannot afford SNAP benefits for the hungry or Medicaid for the poor.
The grift is flagrant.
In your face.
No veiled attempts.
No shame.
An open effort to use taxpayer dollars, government power and presidential influence for the betterment of Trump family finances and the enrichment of loyal insiders.
Most corruption throughout history required investigators, hearings and years of forensic accounting to uncover the damage. It was hidden.
But with Trump, stealth is unnecessary.
The brazenness is the point.
Trips and galas alongside tech titans seeking government contracts, influence and business advantage. Deals and favors seemingly shaped through access, charm and proximity at glittering dinner parties rather than through the sober scrutiny of budget analysts and public oversight.
Especially at a moment when families are struggling with grocery bills, gas prices, medical expenses and housing costs, the optics of such excess begin to land very differently.
Lavish settings, elite networking and displays of wealth stop looking aspirational and start looking detached from the realities facing ordinary Americans.
A sitting president suing the very government he now controls, while simultaneously pursuing settlements that could channel taxpayer money toward political loyalists and January 6 sympathizers, may be one of the most astonishing conflicts of interest in modern American history.
And perhaps most alarming is the apparent absence of independent oversight.
Because once public institutions become instruments of personal grievance, political loyalty and financial reward, corruption is no longer hiding in the shadows.
It is manipulation in plain sight.
Signals sent to billionaire allies about when to buy, when to sell. With market-moving announcements that net fortunes while ordinary Americans watch their retirement accounts dwindle.
The irony of authoritarian politics is that leaders often accuse others of committing the very corruption operating inside their own systems. Like claiming the system is RIGGED and then rigging it themselves.
So deflection becomes strategy and projection becomes propaganda.
History has seen this before, as Heather Cox Richardson recently recounted.
The Teapot Dome scandal.
The Crédit Mobilier scandal.
Both scandals leaving a legacy of government abuse at the highest levels eroding public trust. Autocrats surrounded by loyalists taking advantage of the citizens.
The resulting consequences taking years or even generations to recover from.
The use of presidential pardons now feels entangled in the culture of corruption and transactional loyalty.
Pardons were historically envisioned as instruments of mercy, justice or national healing. But increasingly, they appear to many Americans as political currency.
Why are convicted fraudsters, white collar criminals, political operatives and even drug traffickers being granted clemency while ordinary citizens struggle beneath the weight of the legal system?
What message does that send?
Then pivot into the deeper concern:
The public naturally begins asking the obvious:
Is this about justice?
About loyalty?
About influence?
About access?
About protecting allies and rewarding people within the orbit of power?
Meanwhile, average Americans sit in courtrooms every day facing consequences without wealth, connections, political usefulness or proximity to power.
Corruption is also about protection of friends and allies. Consider the Epstein Files.
Harry Sisson on May 5, 2026, reported that Marjorie Taylor Green recently attended an event at the Ron Paul Institute and revealed this very notion about Trump not wanting to release the Epstein Files because it would “hurt so many people, nice people…” Please take a moment to see what she has said about Trump protecting his friends.
Who gets exposed.
Who gets shielded.
Who gets sacrificed politically.
And who remains untouchable because loyalty itself has become currency.
Corruption and grift thrives in a world of distractions.
Start a war. Threaten another country. Blow up vessels in the Carribean.
Keep the public angry. Keep them divided.
Keep them chasing the next outrage.
Threaten those who disagree. Go after the political enemies.
Reward loyalty at any cost.
All the while influence, money and protection grows behind the scenes.
People can maybe tolerate some swagger during prosperity.
But economic hardship sharpens public awareness. Citizens begin asking why sacrifice seems reserved for them while luxury expands for the president and his billionaire allies.
Even the strongest regime can crack under the weight of greed, excess and the growing anger of people struggling simply to stay afloat.
For instance, in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, years of corruption, cronyism, media control and economic strain slowly eroded public trust and political stability. Recently, his authoritarian regime toppled by the power of the people rising against him.
History reminds us that authoritarian regimes tumble with pressure by the people. This is our job now to keep the pressure on. Midterm elections are around the corner and Trump is wildly UNPOPULAR. His disapproval ratings are sky high - more than 70% of Americans don’t like what he is doing, according to recent polls.
Keep the faith that together the American people will right the ship!
In a recent interview with Nicolle Wallace on her podcast, THE BEST PEOPLE, Ken Burns reminded everyone that the American spirit has fought off so many of the challenges to our democracy. He believes that WE THE PEOPLE will do the same now.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY?
No doubt - you are exhausted by all of this as we are. Here are few of the things that we believe will help in the process. But staying healthy and strong yourself is essential.
Join groups.
Pay attention.
Participate in protests.
Support independent journalism.
Engage locally — school boards, courts and state races.
Consider THE RED LIPSTICK FORUM RETREAT this fall - to renew, relax and rejuvenate with other like minded people. Learn new ways of coping and fighting back more effectively. We have a lot planned to expand our reach.
Democracies survive when citizens stay engaged.
Until next time, stay well and enjoy our holiday weekend!
Judy & Donna
