Corruption Watch: Trump’s Net Worth Increased by $7.5 Billion, Wants $230 More Directly from Taxpayers, and His Admin is Buying New Jets
Trump’s Ballroom Isn’t Just Bulldozing History, It’s Ripe for Bribery
Trump pardoned a convicted titan of the crypto industry who is helping boost his own crypto venture. The Wall Street Journal first broke the news that President Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the crypto exchange Binance, who had been convicted of enabling money laundering while CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange. Before Trump pardoned him, Zhao had spent months shilling for Trump’s cryptocurrency business. “Will do everything we can to help make America the Capital of Crypto,” Zhao wrote on X when thanking Trump for his pardon.
“The situation has no parallel in American history,” reports The New York Times of Trump demanding that the Justice Department pay him $230 million in compensation for previous federal charges brought against him. Trump said of his reported demand, “I’m the one that makes the decision and that decision would have to go across my desk and it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.” Yes, it is awfully strange that he’s talking about paying himself $230 million with our tax dollars.
Companies with business with the federal government are buying Trump a ballroom. Trump has demolished the iconic East Wing of the White House, built in 1902, so that he can build a 90,000 square-foot ballroom that he estimates will cost $200 or 300 million dollars. Who’s going to pay for that? CNN reports that corporations such as Palantir, the tech company with ICE contracts, Lockheed Martin, the defense company with U.S. military contracts, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta Platforms, as well individual donors like Stephen A. Schwarzman, the CEO of the private equity firm Blackstone.
GOP political groups are spending at Trump properties, too. NOTUS reports that Trump-aligned political committees have spent heavily at Trump-owned private properties, and total Republican spending at Trump properties is above $1 million since he took office in January. That doesn’t include spending that doesn’t have to be reported to the FEC. “Another example of a complete lack of concern for ethics and doing the right thing,” Drew Pomerance, a member of Patriotic Millionaires, a coalition of wealthy Americans who advocate against the concentration of wealth and political power, told NOTUS. “Can you imagine what Republicans would say if the same scenario was playing out with a Democrat as president? This would be front and center of congressional investigations.”
Trump keeps enriching himself. The Center for American Progress published a real-time tracker of “the cash and gifts that President Trump and his family have received by selling the presidency.” As of this publication, according to the tracker, Trump’s net worth on paper has increased by $7.5 billion thanks to his rapid deregulation of the crypto industry while promoting his family’s crypto ventures. Trump’s overall haul in gifts and cash during the last year is $1.8 billion. The whole tracker is worth the look.
Our tax dollars, luxury jets for Kristi Noem. The Department of Homeland Security bought two Gulfstream private jets for DHS Secretary Noem and other officials, reports The New York Times. This isn’t the first time taxpayers have paid for Noem’s private costs.
A coordinated MAHA state-level campaign. A report by the Associated Press found that special interest groups associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are pushing a wave of anti-science bills in statehouses across the country. At least 420 state-level bills related to vaccines, fluoride in drinking water, and milk safety have been introduced and more than two dozen have been enacted or adopted. Although RFK Jr. often criticizes the moneyed interests behind the pharmaceutical industry, there are lots of businesses and special interests that profit from the anti-science agenda he’s selling.
The United States government keeps killing people on boats. This week, the U.S. struck two vessels in the Pacific, killing five people, according to CBS News and confirmed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. According to the report, the US government has killed at least 37 people in these attacks. The government alleges that these vessels are full of drug smugglers and gang members, which they claim justifies the killings. The wife of Alejandro Carranza, a Colombian man who was killed, said that he had been on a fishing trip. President of Colombia Gustavo Petro said, “This is murder.”
More than 7 million people took to the streets to say No Kings. Last weekend, at more than 2,700 events across the country, people turned out in droves. Political scientists say that it takes just 3.5% of the population engaged in nonviolent protest to create political change and hold back authoritarianism. So, it really is important that millions of people showed up.
When is it enough for this man. I always thought Presidents couldn't enrich themselves while in office. President Carter had to sell his peanut farm so he wasn't making money in office. Seems the law means nothing to this administration or Republicans in general. I think its awful he wants to be rewarded for charges being brought against him because he is guilty. Taking taxpayer money for himself while we suffer because of his policies and tariffs is awful. $40 billion to Argentina while Americans struggle and are facing double or triple healthcare premiums and they would rather have the shutdown continue than to do anything to help the American people. Ever since he took office he has been sticking it to us and I don't know about anyone else, but I am sick and tired of it. If they won't hold him accountable now, we elect a Democrat the next President and go after him and his whole lawless administration and anyone who enabled him. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW, NOT EVEN THE ORANGE TURD or his minions.
France is supplying Ukraine with Mirage 2000 fighter jets, and Aster surface to air missiles.
Sorry America doesn’t have a leader of men. Trump is a leader of fools. He was a fluke, and won only because of a divided democrats. The far left want to be the face of the party. But they’re not. The don’t have the sentiment of the people. They can’t win in their own party, so certainly can’t win national elections. The biggest group is the independents. 45% of people recognized themselves as independent. Here’s the breakdown:
Democratic Party~27%
Vote Democrat
Republican Party~25%
Vote Republican
Independent lean Dem 17-20%
Usually vote Democrat
Independent lean GOP 15-18%
Usually vote Republican
True Independent 10%
Only 5% Independent identify as far left.
In the 2000 election many of the far left voted for Ralph Nader. That gave the presidency to George W. Bush.
In 2016, 12% of the Bernie bros voted for Donald Trump. 12% to 15% didn’t vote.
That gave the election to Donald Trump.
Someone can say that the far left elected, the two worst presidents in the history of Of America.
The far right knows this and uses the far left to their advantage. The GOP in 2016 bought advertising to help Bernie Sanders. The Russians use social media to help Bernie Sanders.
That’s how the far right defeated Hillary Clinton. She was their biggest fear. Also Trump’s and Putin’s biggest fear.
You one might ask themselves why would the far left help the far right. The answer is nebulous. If you ask someone on the far left they will deny the fact vigorously. They will say that it’s the Democrats, they’re pushed to the middle is the cause. But democrats only push to the middle because of the numbers show that’s where the American sentiment is. And as Abraham Lincoln said:
“Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”
— Abraham Lincoln, 1858
It shows the far left doesn’t want the Democrats to succeed. It makes one think they may be in the control of the far right?
In the two most important elections in modern history, they helped elect the two worst presidents in American history.
And now they want to be the face of the Democratic Party. They’re all excited about Mamdani in NYC. Who are the far left? I know many and they are stuck on issues and they need instant gratification. As Hillary wrote in her book ‘How it happened” She mentioned the far left progressive that would come to her and want to make change. She showed them how to go about passing laws. The many tedious steps in the process. It takes time, it’s hard work, it could take years. But it’s lasting change.
They were totally turned off. They wanted change now. You can call it impulsive, petulant, immature? So do they really want change, or they do they just want what they want, because they want it?
Democrats have to get hold of the party that is mature, and work for change so that America, the greatest democracy in history can survive. I know the far left would just like the Democrats to stand back and let them rule. Have they earned the right? Their petulance and disrespect for Democratic leaders says no.