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Increasingly questionable actions by Trump result in escalating protective measures.

Commencement of fresh U.S. executive leadership

Trump Allegedly Hiding Business Activities During Presidency
Trump Allegedly Hiding Business Activities During Presidency

A Dubious Presidency: The Corrupt Trump Empire Expands Unchecked

Increasingly questionable actions by Trump result in escalating protective measures.

Hold onto your seats, folks. We're diving headfirst into the murky waters of the Trump administration and its questionable practices during President Trump's second term. Warning: You may find these revelations gut-wrenching and disheartening.

Trump's Globe-Trotting Adventures - Dithering the Line Between Politics and Profit

In the midst of a grand foreign tour, Donald Trump is receiving quite the royal welcome. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are falling over themselves to shower the president with all the pomp and pageantry of a rockstar. The music of his campaign rallies echoes through Saudi Arabia. At an investment summit, "God Bless the USA" introduces his speech, and Trump wraps up with the catchy tune "YMCA" - a peculiar choice, you may think, in an Islamic monarchy.

As we follow Trump's every move on this multi-day excursion, it becomes increasingly apparent: The line between government work, economic policy, and personal profit in the White House is not only blurred but disappearing entirely. Trump conducts business worldwide, even with autocrats and kings, no matter how autocratically they rule. Trump's personal interests and those of the nation intertwine, and he openly enters into private agreements with foreign governments, which could potentially influence his political decisions. We've previously described Trump's compromised relationship with Middle Eastern states.

Economy: Know the Score - Billions Pour into Trump's Coffers from Around the Globe

Since he took office, billions of dollars have flowed into Trump's and his family's pockets via a labyrinth of deals. There's no explicit law against it yet, but why should something be allowed for an office holder that's already banned during the election campaign? Even in the United States, the boundaries between office, Trump's self-interest, and possible influence often vanish.

The New Era - Post-Supreme Court Ruling

In his second term, Trump has no need to tread lightly. No US president before him enjoyed such protection as he does, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling last year. This decision, whose consequences we're witnessing in real-time, asserts that as long as Trump can claim his actions are within his presidency, he and his allies are invulnerable to legal action. Therefore, the more Trump intertwines his interests with the office, the less vulnerable he becomes.

Examples of Abuse: Kleptocracy and Corruption Become the Norm

  • Large law firms, representing Democrats and NGOs in cases against Trump's administration, found themselves blocked from accessing agencies and subjected to investigations from the Department of Justice. Some firms chose to back down, with one even offering Trump pro bono services worth tens of millions of dollars.
  • As president, Trump possesses the power to grant pardons, and he's been quite generous with them. Some of his most famous pardons include the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. This act symbolizes that loyalty to Trump is more important than adhering to the law.
  • Trump is also an immobilier, a cryptocurrency and media entrepreneur. He's sued those who report critically on him or allegedly favored political rivals, spread false information about them, and threatened them with license revocation. In some cases, entities like news network ABC News, owned by Disney, and Facebook and Instagram's parent company Meta, have chosen to settle out of court to avoid further damaging their business.

Politics: The Danger of Insider Trading? Top Republican Wants to Ban Stock Trading in Congress After Customs Chaos

  • Legal battles raged between Trump and media group Paramount, with Trump suing the media giant for $20 billion in damages over an allegedly manipulated interview with Kamala Harris. Curiously enough, the FCC, which was replaced by Trump, is currently reviewing Paramount's proposed merger with production company Skydance. As per U.S. media reports, Paramount is attempting to reach an out-of-court settlement with Trump and pay him a portion of the claimed amount, despite the lawsuit likely being baseless.
  • Money can buy access to the White House, and even more. Membership in Trump's private Washington club, "Executive," is available for a hefty $500,000 initiation fee. Such exclusive membership includes notable figures like Trump's crypto special envoy David Sacks and other tech leaders. At the club's opening party, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and several CEOs were in attendance. The club prides itself on privacy to prevent sensitive information from leaking.
  • Trump's very own cryptocurrency, "$TRUMP," has attracted interested investors seeking influence with Trump. He's promised a gala dinner at Mar-a-Lago for the top 220 investors and direct access to him and the White House to the top 25.
  • A Chinese firm, "GD Culture Group," recently received a substantial boost through a stock sale in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands. The company, which reported no revenue last year and operates solely on the Chinese social media platform TikTok, plans to invest $300 million in Bitcoin and $TRUMP. The source of the money remains unknown. Due to Chinese government influence and national security risks, Congress voted last year to ban TikTok, but Trump has delayed this action with decrees.
  • In April, Mexican logistics company Fr8Tech announced plans to spend $20 million on Trump's memecoin to "fight for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and the U.S." Is it a matter of tariff exemptions for sale? During Trump's first term, there was an official process for this, where any company could apply. Now, with everything happening behind closed doors, the possibility for cronyism arises.
  • On tariffs: "IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY," Trump announced on social media in April, just hours before a tariff cut sent stock prices soaring. He later boasted in the Oval Office that investment banker Charles Schwab had made $2.5 billion, and another investor $900 million, thanks to him. On the flip side, before Trump announced tariffs, Attorney General Pam Bondi sold part of her stocks, causing stock prices to plummet. Other politicians are also said to have profited from insider information about tariffs.

Security Concerns Arise - Trump's Relationship with Foreign Governments

Trump's organization stands to profit from several large-scale projects in countries he's recently visited: six real estate projects with a Saudi firm, a crypto deal with a state-owned company in the UAE, and a golf course and luxury villa project involving Qatar's government. Some of these projects were only announced two weeks ago.

The Luxurious Gift - A $400 Million Jet for Trump?

Trump is reportedly set to receive a luxury jet worth $400 million from Qatar, supposedly without any strings attached. The "flying palace" could potentially serve as the next Air Force One. The decision hasn't been finalized, but the Constitution is clear: the president is prohibited from accepting "any gift of any kind from a king, prince, or foreign government." Media scrutiny of this potential deal has raised eyebrows, with even Trump's MAGA base expressing criticism. But Trump remains unfazed, insisting that the jet would go to the Department of Defense, not him personally.

Is Trump Unstoppable?

Trump, his family, and those who enjoy his favor or pay for it appear poised to profit. Others must fear the wrath of the White House. Those who align themselves with Trump benefit. Protected by an immunity ruling, he's shielded from scrutiny like no president before him. What would have sparked a significant government crisis and congressional investigations for past presidents largely flows by in the constant news cycle during Trump's second term. And if not, what could possibly bring him down?

"We are witnessing a revolutionary shift, a sweeping departure from the transparency and accountability that most modern democracies prescribe, and a turn towards the opaque practices and corrupt dealings of the autocratic world," writes Anne Applebaum, author of "Autocracy, Inc.," which details the international dealings of such states. Whatever Trump does, it carries political and often economic implications. In the case of tariffs, the impact is global.

  1. The European Union, the European Parliament, and the Council have been closely monitoring the financial transactions and investing decisions of the Trump administration, given the blurred lines between politics and profit during President Trump's second term.
  2. In light of Trump's global business ventures, particularly in real estate, stock market, and cryptocurrency, general news outlets have been reporting on potential conflicts of interest between the president's personal endeavors and the national interest.
  3. The escalating global economic influence of the Trump empire, coupled with the political power of the presidency, has raised concerns among political and financial analysts in the European Parliament and other global political arenas, given the potential for leveraging political decisions for financial gain.

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