Tag: #corruption and politics

Trump’s Second Term Draws Fire Over Corruption

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Trump vs America

                                                   Trump is Phony as a Three Dollar Bill

Trump vs America

By William Jones

Trump’s Second Term Draws Fire Over Power, Profit, and Repeated Institutional Battles

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 2026 — President Donald Trump’s second White House has had a slew of issues concerning private enterprises, foreign gifts, executive power, government regulation, immigration, federal jobs, education, and trade. His first term already brought up questions of conflicts of interest, pardons, Trump’s properties, and the ouster of independent watchdogs. Those conflicts have now faded away. Trump, who has been in office since January 2025, has made a series of moves that have been rejected in court, attacked by ethics authorities, worried about by Congress and the American public, and that has raised multiple accusations from a variety of multiple  that he is exceeding the powers of the presidency.

Crypto Ventures Generate Billions

Trump’s family cryptocurrency holdings have emerged as one of the most obvious financial scandals of his second term. Four of the Trump-related crypto businesses have made an estimated $2.3 billion for the family from 2024 to April 2026, according to a Reuters investigation. The projects consist of World Liberty Financial and $TRUMP meme coin. Reuters reports that the losses were similar in magnitude for outside investors, but the Trump family reaped ownership and revenue-sharing benefits. Critics say the president has the ability to sway an industry where his family has a lot of money tied up.

Meme Coin Buyers Gain Presidential Access

The $TRUMP coin led to another ethical issue, as 220 of its biggest investors were invited to dine with Trump at his golf club in Virginia in May 2025. Additional access was given to the top 25 investors. Critics wondered if rich or foreign investors could buy up a seat near a sitting president when they could buy cryptocurrency using wallets that don’t release their names. Trump’s presence at the dinner was called personal time in the White House, and the AP made note of him speaking behind a lectern with the presidential seal.

Qatar’s $400 Million Aircraft

Growing concerns about foreign influence became another issue after the acceptance of a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar for the president’s use. The aircraft’s value is estimated at approximately $400 million. The snag of course is that it will need at least a billion dollars in significant modifications to its security and communications systems to be used as Air Force One, Reuters reported. Trump and MAGA brushed aside any notion that ethics should come into play and said it would be very foolish to turn down this valuable aircraft. Critics raised concerns about the possibility of an obligation or suspected influence by the Qatar government because of such an “extraordinary gift by a foreign government.”

Independent Watchdogs Removed

Trump also acted against those charged with regulating government misbehaviors. Independent watchdogs, such as inspectors general, were fired early in the administration, raising concerns that investigators of waste, fraud, abuse, and retaliation might be replaced by those more loyal to the president. One federal judge has concluded that Trump’s termination of Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, was illegal because of safeguards for independent officials, which were created to prevent improper pressure from the White House.

Federal Workers Face Mass Dismissals

Another major controversy for the administration was the attempt to extensively reduce the size of the federal workforce. Agencies went on a job restructuring campaign that resulted in the firing or elimination of thousands of workers. The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and associated agencies were particularly hard hit in 2025, when approximately 10,000 cuts were made to these health agencies. The cuts were deemed to be long-overdue changes to bureaucracy by supporters. Scientists, regulators, and experts could suddenly be lost, leading to a weakening of key government services, critics said.

Supreme Court Rejects Sweeping Tariffs

Trump’s emergency powers to impose sweeping global tariffs suffered a major blow in court. His bid for emergency economic powers to implement broad tariffs was rejected by the Supreme Court in February 2026 and weakened one of the Trump administration’s key economic strategies. Trump attacked the decision and threatened to pursue other legal strategies for erecting tariffs. The debate also raised the broader constitutional issue—how much economic power does a president have without specific congressional approval?

Birthright Citizenship Targeted Again

Trump’s opposition to birthright citizenship has butted heads with constitutional arguments over the years. His original second-term executive order was to deny automatic citizenship to some of those born in the United States. The previous order was rejected by the courts, however, and in August 2026, Trump issued a “narrower” order. The federal judge was not so sure about its constitutionality, since the Supreme Court had already ruled the previous attempt unconstitutional in light of the 14th Amendment. The new challenge is still in effect.

Education Department Cutbacks Blocked

The administration also made a concerted effort to cut significantly the size of the Department of Education’s workforce and to shift significant functions to other departments. The plan was blocked by a federal judge in 2025, saying that the executive branch cannot effectively dismantle a department created by Congress unless Congress gives it its approval. Education authority is something Trump has long advocated should be handed back to the states. The restructuring was a risk to students who are protected by federal programs, administered by the federal government, and required to meet civil-rights requirements, opponents said.

Justice Department Reopens Trump-Era Grievances

Still another controversy involves the Justice Department’s review of those officials who participated in previous inquiries of Trump. In August 2026, the FBI began interviewing personnel linked to the search of his residence on Mar-a-Lago in 2022 as it expanded its probe into whether U.S. investigations have infringed on Trump’s rights, according to Reuters. The review is a required measure of accountability, according to supporters. There is a disturbing prospect in the eyes of critics that federal law enforcement abilities are being channeled towards individuals who investigated the president before he was sworn in.

Questions Grow Over Justice Department Independence

Former Trump personal lawyer Attorney General Todd Blanche has been under separate watch on the independence of the Justice Department. During an interview in August 2026, Blanche denied being Trump’s political attorney and not the country’s top law-enforcement official. Politically charged investigations and proposals that have worked in favor of Trump allies have been cited as signs of a diminishment in institutional independence. Blanche, our newest AG, says that he’s being fair and honest with the law.

A Presidency Under Continuing Scrutiny

What unites these 10 controversies is an underlining theme: the growing permeable boundaries of presidential power and hyper-public and personal and familial interests. Trump’s supporters believe they were given a mandate by voters to have a president who is aggressively working to fulfill that mandate, to dismantle bureaucracy, and to challenge institutions that they view as being unaccountable.

Critics see something more worrying. As Trump-affiliated businesses continue to generate massive private profits, they contend that the courts, watchdogs, career officials, independent prosecutors, and disclosure regulations are all being run over by a lawless executive branch.

Larger than any of Trump’s lawsuits, firings, cryptocurrency business, or executive orders, is the central question of his second term. It is whether the institutions established to check the power of the president will survive if the president keeps opposing these institutions. In a democracy, accountability must be based not on the goodwill of the occupant of the White House. It relies on the ability of the law, independent oversight, Congress, courts and an informed public to say no.

 

References

https://www.reuters.com/investigations/parsing-trumps-crypto-profits-investors-losses-2026-06-09/

https://apnews.com/article/0e2d7ca5170bf594d44a391884ec52b3

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-formally-accepts-luxury-jet-qatar-trump-new-york-times-2025-05-21/

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-declares-trumps-firing-watchdog-agency-head-illegal-2025-03-02/

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-administration-begins-mass-layoffs-health-agencies-sources-say-2025-04-01/

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/g20-countries-should-consider-more-trade-barriers-with-china-cut-imbalances-2026-08-30/

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-judge-wont-immediately-block-trumps-newest-order-limiting-birthright-2026-08-28/

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-blocks-trump-administration-plan-gut-education-department-2025-05-22/

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/doj-seeks-question-fbi-officials-tied-search-trump-mar-a-lago-estate-sources-say-2026-08-20/

https://apnews.com/article/37c32a3751aaeac09fde5e415c1d4879

 

 

 

Cynicism and Corruption in Politics

  By , , , , ,

Cynicism and Corruption in Politics

 

Cynicism and Corruption in Politics

by Vajra Ma ©

I’ve been dialoguing with Trump supporters recently trying to understand their perspective. One individual made a statement that stopped me in my tracks. He said, quite firmly, “All politicians are corrupt. You have to be corrupt to be a politician. There’s nothing I can do about that. I like Trump because he’s a businessman, not a politician.” [author’s emphasis] I’ve understood all along MAGAs see governmental corruption and want it stopped. I too, see corruption and want it stopped. So, what is the difference between the MAGAs and me?

A fantasy monologue to my friend led me down a line of thought into a surprising answer.

The man I studied acting with for seventeen years, Tad Danielewski, said two things I’ll never forget. The first: “Despair is not an option.” This, coming from a man who experienced the worst of humanity. During WWII he fought in the Polish underground, was captured by the Nazis and thrown into one of their death camps. Eventually, at 95 pounds, he was lifted by a British soldier into a rescue truck.

Tad studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, moved to the U.S., won an Emmy for directing the documentary Africa and became head of talent at NBC in New York where he trained such notable actors as Martin Sheen, Sigourney Weaver, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson and Mercedes Ruehl.

Why do I tell you all this? Because in 1976, after all this survival and accomplishment, he accepted an invitation from Brigham Young University to head the Department of Theatre and Film (where I met him). Why did he accept this position in deep Mormon country? This is the second thing I’ll never forget, his answer: “Because I was on the edge of becoming cynical.” [end of fantasy]

What does this tell me about cynicism? Tad was drawn to the Mormons because they are not cynical. I myself was a sincere Mormon convert in my twenties. With hindsight, I see a deep rot and corruption in that church, yet at the same time—and here is my point—at the same time, I see good, sincere people aiming to do the right thing. Life is not black and white. It is a mixed bag. To fail to see this is to fail to see reality.

My friend views politics through the lens of cynicism: “The belief that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere.” (Cambridge Dictionary online) He views all politicians with “an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or the professed motives of others.” (The Free Dictionary online) As if a “businessman” in the White House could or would not be corrupt.

I see the corruption in politicians, but I see it in varying degrees which are not always discernable as to how much and what over. In this mixed bag I also see the sincerity of a number of politicians aiming to serve The People’s “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But my friend, blinded by cynicism, sees only the corruption. One broad brushstroke for all. Cynicism blocks discernment of the mixed bag reality. If we fail to see reality, we are part of the problem we point at. In other words, we are part of the corruption.

Cynicism itself is corruption.

Cynicism is a simplistic, perhaps lazy, escape from responsibility—the ability to respond—to corruption. “There’s nothing I can do about that.” If we refuse to deal with the complexities of that troublesome mixed bag, cynicism will use a chainsaw instead of the scalpel that discernment requires.

Dictators criticize democracy as cumbersome and slow-moving. Elon’s gleeful chainsaw jig on the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) stage gave us a visible performance of the cynicism that “justifies” slashing the livelihood and family stability of workers in the cumbersome  “deep state”. Russell Vought, main architect of Project 2025 and Donald’s current Director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a leaked video over a year ago: “We will traumatize the federal workers.” This pre-meditated plot to execute trauma on human beings is the corruption of cynicism in full force.

Underpinning cynicism is the terror of being duped, of being “taken in,” of being “fooled” by a goodness the cynic very much fears is not actually there for him. And in caving to that fear, in an attempt to never be “taken in,” the cynic unwittingly opens the door to the very decline into corruption he criticizes.

The Authoritarian trades in black and white. “They are black, I am white. I can fixt it. ”MAGAs seek safety from fear with black and white answers. A keep it simple, stupid, mentality.  “The politicians are corrupt. Businessman Donald is not.” So they elect the White One to Fix It. “He will drain the swamp!” And before you can say “a hundred days,” he’s stocked it with agency eating alligators.

 

Author’s note: Thanks to Ava Park of Irvine, CA for her input into this article.