Week 80 - The Return
Corruption, a failed China Summit, and an unending war
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
The biggest stories this week center on the blatant, unprecedented corruption by Trump, his family, and his regime. What is shocking is not only the scope, but also Trump’s willingness, even eagerness, to flaunt his kleptocracy in the light of day, seeming to regale in the fact that no one in his regime or party would dare to challenge or in any way stop him.
Notable this week was not only Trump’s disclosure that he or his agents had made more than 3,700 stock trades in the first quarter, many of which involved companies with business before his regime, but also several that he had publicly promoted or directly helped through his actions and policies. Far more brazen was his so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was poised to award $1.8 billion of taxpayer money not only to his allies, but also to Jan. 6 insurrections, whom he had already pardoned, and will now be enriched and encouraged to do the same in the future at his beck and call! This was another in the long list of examples of Trump getting away with one thing (pardons), then taking a broken norm to a next level, after little to no pushback.
These remarkable headlines sucked much of the oxygen out of other important story lines. The Iran War continued with no progress, and following the same pattern of Trump threatening strikes, then backing off (TACO), with no end in sight. Bloomberg reported financial markets had gotten desensitized to his pattern, and Trump’s words and posts were having diminishing impacts. The American public moved increasingly against not only the war, but also on Trump’s overall approval and approval on other key issues, reaching new lows.
Trump’s China Summit was by most accounts not only unproductive, but also deleterious to U.S. standing, and an embarrassment. While Trump seemed smitten by, and trying hard for a friendship with China’s president, Xi referred to the U.S. as a “declining nation,” and seemed to troll Trump throughout his visit. Meanwhile, Trump continued to pull away from our NATO allies, and took steps toward conflicts with Cuba and Greenland, which would also serve to allow him to control the narrative away from what we are no longer talking about — the Epstein files.
As a second outbreak hit this week, the Department of Health and Human Services was hit with another senior level resignation. There are other important stories as well on the dysfunction within our federal agencies, which is only getting worse. With all this happening, Trump remained focused on his ballroom, and his campaign of retribution.
WAPO reported that a new U.S. intelligence analysis detailed how China had gained a major edge in military, economic, diplomatic and other fields, because of the Iran War, ahead of Trump’s meeting. Experts said that the war was significantly improving China’s geopolitical position.
With the war, China sold weapons to Persian Gulf allies of the U.S., and helped countries struggling with energy needs. China also used a populist message at home that the war was “illegal,” and sought to undermine the U.S. reputation as reliable and international rules-based.
On Wednesday, as Trump and his delegation arrived and started days of meetings in China, a Chinese oil tanker carrying two million barrels of oil was able to sail through the Strait of Hormuz after two months of being stranded. Iran said it had approved the passage.
On Wednesday, WSJ reported the Pentagon abruptly canceled the deployment of more than 4,000 troops from an armored brigade, which was already en route to Poland, citing the longer-term goal of reducing the U.S. military’s role in defending European countries.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized the canceled deployment, saying they and our allies were not notified. Senate Arms Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers said, “We are going to mandate that the department follow the statutory minimums that are set.”
Notus reported that Hegseth also planned to downgrade four-star Gen. Christopher Donahue, the top command overseeing Europe and Africa, and replace him with a lower level officer, raising questions about Donahue’s future and the U.S. commitment to Europe.
On Friday, the House voted 333–80 against a measure that would have diverted $482 million from NATO fundingtoward military construction instead. The 80 House Republicans who voted for it said it was about putting ‘America first.’
WSJ reported the Trump regime was considering a plan for Trump to issue 250 pardons as a way to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, possibly on June 14, Flag Day and his birthday, or on the Fourth of July. Some regime members worried about the impact on midterms.
On Thursday, ABC News reported Trump was poised to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and lawsuits over the search of Mar-a-Lago and claims of Russian interference, in exchange for $1.7 billion in funds to be awarded at his sole discretion, and a public apology.
The $1.7 billion fund would be funded by taxpayer monies, and would be awarded to anyone whom Trump alleges was harmed by the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the legal system. This could include Jan. 6 insurrectionists, and entities tied to Trump.
The fund would be an unprecedented use of taxpayer money, with little oversight. Funds would be administered by a Trump-appointed commission, which would not have to make public disclosures. Trump would have the right to remove members of the commission with cause.
