We’ve had some bad ones. But Donald Trump, congratulations. You take the cake when it comes to being America’s most corrupt president of all time.
President Trump was impeached for… That’s right, corruption. But Trump’s list of egregious actions goes beyond impeachment:
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Trump has committed himself fully to duping the American people that he cares about them, but the only person Trump cares about is Trump. His number one agenda is making himself and his family richer and more powerful at the expense of ordinary Americans.
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The tax reform bill is a prime example. It would increase taxes on the middle-class while cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy—likely necessitating cuts in Social Security and Medicare to pay for them. And it would cause huge premium rate increases to the tune of thousands of dollars.
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Trump has not only continued to get rich off his properties during his presidency, but has poured hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars into his own pockets.
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The Secret Service paid $471,000 to Trump’s companies in just over a year. DHS paid $159,000 to the Trump Hotel in D.C. during Trump’s first year in office, despite Trump having never stayed there overnight. And the U.S. military spent nearly $200,000 at Trump’s luxury Scotland resort.
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Trump and his administration actively promoted his properties and business, including during diplomatic relations with international organizations and heads of state. Trump was thinking about his profits even during a time of tragedy—while being briefed on the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, Trump specifically asked about the condition of the area where his golf club was located.
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This concentrated effort by the administration naturally led to Trump’s properties gaining a reputation as a place of power and influence—which resulted in even more business. Other Republicans started using Trump properties for fundraising and events, bringing even more clout and cash to those locations.
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Trump’s not the only one using government to his own benefit. His children have also exploited their positions in incredible ways.
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Sons Don Jr. and Eric have continued to make millions off real estate sales that have had ties to government and foreign interests—for example, the brothers selling a $33 million stake in a federally subsidized housing complex that required sign-off from their father’s appointed HUD Secretary, Ben Carson.
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Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, went from an average slum lord/rich-kid-of-a-real-
estate-magnate to negotiating Middle East peace policy and reforming the criminal justice system, with an assist from his father-in-law when his security clearances were held up. -
And Trump’s daughter Ivanka has used the presidency to hawk her clothing and jewelry products and collected Chinese trademark approvals, even as her father was engaged in a trade war with China.
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The Trump campaign issued an official statement that seemingly solicited unlimited contributions to a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action.
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The Trump campaign was accused of hiding $170 million in campaign spending.
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Trump falsely said vote-by-mail leads to fraud.
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Trump flat out said that he didn’t want to fund USPS so there couldn’t be vote-by-mail.
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His staff opening mocked the Hatch Act.
You know who hasn’t done any of these things? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
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