Republican officials reek with the stench of Trump’s corruption

“Welcome to the Golden Age!” says a banner on the White House website. 

Maybe it’s golden for Trump and his family, who’ve made billions by cashing in on the presidency, and for their ultrarich friends whose political influence rises along with their wealth.

But it’s not so golden for Americans paying higher prices for food and gas prices due to economic uncertainty caused by Trump’s chaotic tariff policies. They’re also paying high energy prices and facing fertilizer shortages resulting from his war against Iran, amid massive cuts to social safety net programs and threats of unregulated artificial intelligence.  

At a time when millions of families cannot meet their basic needs, and millions more live with anxiety and economic insecurity, Trump is focused on self-aggrandizement. His ridiculous gold-plated Louis XIV ballroom. A massive arch we don’t need and nobody else wants.  

And, untethered to the actual lived experiences of the American people, he waves away questions about American families experiencing hardship due to his policies, saying he doesn’t give them a thought.   

Political authoritarianism and economic corruption go hand in hand. They’re bad for democracy, the economy, freedom and families. When political leaders don’t think they have to follow the laws that apply to other people, they have an incentive to abuse their power and manipulate the system to enrich themselves and their friends.  

To achieve their ends, they undermine the rule of law, disadvantage honest economic players and corrupt both public and private institutions.  

Consider Trump’s Justice Department. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche........

© The Hill