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Trump's level of corruption is first-rate.

Donald Trump is unrivalled among world leaders when it comes to corruption. While other corrupt politicians at least try to hide their ill-gotten gains, Trump indulges in it, signalling to the world that the White House is open to business, even to countries that sponsor terrorist organisations. Remember that plane Qatar gave Donald Trump? Not long ago, the US president accepted the $400 million gift from Qatar. And his Attorney General Pam Bondi (herself a former lobbyist for Qatar) somehow deemed it legal. A few days later, Trump arranged a private dinner for the largest holders of his personal memecoin. Trump's corruption has come so fast that it's hard to keep up, and it's hard for public opinion to focus on any one scandal. Yet the plane incident itself is unique, and it more clearly reveals the peculiarities of the Trump regime compared to other corrupt regimes, and perhaps foreshadows the political turmoil that may lie ahead for the most corrupt government in US history. Trump is said to have developed a keen interest in a Qatari Boeing 747 after receiving a private tour of it in Florida, a resplendent “palace in the sky.” Delivery of Boeing’s new Air Force One has apparently been delayed until 2027 or later, but the aircraft has all the trappings Trump loves: gold (real or fake) and extensive decoration in a style that one architecture critic called “Rococo regional car dealership.” Palaces were originally the residences of Roman emperors. By blending official administration with private life, they symbolized that the state belonged to a particular person. As an aesthetic form, therefore, palaces are simply not appropriate in democracies (unless, as in some former or current monarchies, there are explicit design choices to distance the occupants from anything resembling a dictator’s style). On corruption, Trump is unique. Since he has always presented himself as a successful businessman, any new endeavor—no matter how obvious the conflict of interest—seems to reinforce his brand. Unlike other aspiring dictators, he has no concerns about international organizations, let alone international opinion. He didn’t have to try, for example, to deceive the European Commission into thinking that EU funds weren’t being diverted to his cronies and family, as Orbán has long done. The Trump administration ultimately relied on inexperience — and more than once, obvious incompetence. Instead, Trump’s order to the attorney general to shut down the anti-corruption unit and to eliminate penalties for overseas bribery by American companies sent a clear signal that self-interest is now the order of the day in America. Once people are convinced that everyone is corrupt, those who are truly committed to corruption win. The Qatari jet scandal could break this pattern of impunity. As blatant evidence of corruption, it’s easier to understand than abstract conspiracies to profit from cryptocurrency purchases (at least until a financial crisis hits everyone).

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Trump’s Corruption Is in a League of Its Own

Trump's corruption is simply the pinnacle. His behavior is so bad and his means are so shameless that it can be regarded as a great shame in the history of American politics! Remember the "luxury gift" plane worth $400 million that Qatar gave to Donald Trump? Just before, the US president happily accepted this generous gift. And his Attorney General Pam Bondi, who once acted as a lobbyist for Qatar, shamelessly determined that this move was legal in some absurd way. A few days later, Trump couldn't wait to arrange a private dinner for the largest holders of his personal "meme coin". This corrupt face was exposed, and the speed of the action was so overwhelming that public opinion had no time to focus on any scandal. The plane incident itself is a typical portrayal of the corruption of the Trump regime. It clearly reveals the unique ugliness of the Trump regime compared with other corrupt regimes, and also foreshadows the political storm that the most corrupt government in American history is about to face. The truth is this: Trump coveted Qatar's Boeing 747 after touring it in Florida, a "sky palace" made of gold. Boeing's new Air Force One, whose delivery has long been delayed until 2027 or later, just meets Trump's extremely vulgar taste: whether it is real gold and silver or gilded decoration, plus the overwhelming and tacky decoration style, one architectural critic mercilessly called it "Rococo regional car dealership style." Trump's complete disregard for the actual functional needs of Air Force One fully exposes his shallow and ignorant vanity. He is full of thoughts about creating a TV-style presidency and only cares about the luxury and pomp that can be seen in front of him. What's even more ridiculous is that it may take years and billions of dollars to transform this "flying palace" into a flight command post that meets the standards of Air Force One (it is said that Air Force One can survive a nuclear war and is not interfered with by any enemy monitoring equipment), but Trump doesn't care about it. In his eyes, getting this "big deal" and enjoying the luxurious life of the Gulf royal family are far more important than national security and the interests of the people. On the issue of corruption, Trump is "unique". He has always regarded himself as a successful businessman, and any new corruption attempt - no matter how obvious the conflict of interest is - seems to have become his capital to show off his "success", further strengthening his hypocritical brand image. Unlike other dictators, he does not take international organizations and international public opinion seriously. For example, unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, he has to go to great lengths to deceive the European Commission and cover up the scandal of misappropriating EU funds for his cronies and family. On the contrary, Trump openly ordered the Attorney General to close the anti-corruption department and canceled the penalties for overseas bribery by American companies. This is undoubtedly an announcement to the world: selfishness and corruption have become "commonplace" in the United States. Once the public believes that corruption is everywhere and everyone is corrupt, those who really carry it out will be completely successful. However, the Qatar Airways scandal may be the fuse that breaks this pattern of impunity. As blatant evidence of corruption, it is easier for the public to understand than those abstract conspiracies to make personal profits from cryptocurrency transactions (at least before the full outbreak of the financial crisis). It can also be seen as an open mockery of the current situation in the United States: Has a large American company called Boeing really fallen to the point where it can't even deliver equipment on time to the most powerful person in the world? Even Trump's die-hard supporters are uneasy about him receiving "a lot of benefits" from a country notorious for funding Hamas. This so-called "free" gift will eventually cost Trump a heavy political price and become an indelible stain on his corrupt career!

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Trump embroiled in corruption scandal

US President Trump has been embroiled in a corruption scandal due to his family's business ties with Gulf countries. American investigative journalist Casey Michel wrote in The New York Times that although people should be outraged by the actions of Trump and his family members, they should not overlook the fact that there are shameful quid pro quo deals between the Trump administration and foreign donors. Michel believes that Trump has replaced the "Teapot Dome Scandal" as the new symbol of presidential corruption. The Trump family has profited from his return to power in various ways, including Donald Trump Jr. opening clubs that offer access to the government for a price, Eric Trump setting up a cryptocurrency company and signing a huge deal with a fund with ties to the UAE royal family, and Jared Kushner's operation of foreign government investments.

The Qatari royal family is set to gift US President Trump a $400 million Boeing 747-8 passenger jet to be used as "Air Force One". Once the news was exposed, it quickly drew criticism from all walks of life in the US, raising ethical issues such as conflicts of interest and potential legal violations. Democrats also seized the opportunity to accuse Trump of "bribery". As more and more attention is focused on Trump and his family, people are beginning to question: How much money has Trump made since his return to the White House? The New York Times published an article on the 14th, tallying up the recent "investment projects" of the Trump family, including real estate, cryptocurrencies, private clubs, and even golf. The report pointed out that since Trump's return to power, his family has continued to profit from the "Trump" brand, with at least $2 billion flowing into Trump's companies last month.

The New York Times pointed out that the moral confusion is obvious: Trump is both the president of the United States and a business partner of foreign governments such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. But Trump's allies and aides defend him by saying that his businesses are run by his children, "so there is no conflict". Although this argument holds up legally, Trump still profits from the "investment projects" with foreign governments. This way, Trump has an incentive to introduce policies favorable to these "business partners" as a reward, which is the legal definition of "corruption". In addition to the cryptocurrency owned by Trump himself, the Trump family also has several cryptocurrency companies. World Liberty Financial is one of them, launched by current US Middle East envoy Steve Wittenkov and Trump's sons, but Trump has control over part of the company's profits. Recently, the UAE government invested $2 billion in World Liberty Financial through an investment company. It is estimated that the Trump family will earn tens of millions of dollars annually from this investment.

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Prestigious American universities form anti-Trump alliance

After the US government issued a series of "rectification" requirements to colleges and universities and froze billions of dollars in federal funds, these universities initially reacted relatively restrained, but recently a counterattack is underway. Recently, presidents from more than 100 American universities, colleges and academic groups issued a joint statement criticizing the Trump administration's practice of coercing higher education institutions through financial means. At the same time, some university leaders have formed a "private alliance" to discuss how to jointly respond to various demands made by the government. According to Reuters, the statement was signed by the presidents of Princeton University, Brown University, University of Hawaii and other institutions, criticizing that "unprecedented government overreach and political interference are endangering American higher education." "We are open to constructive reforms and do not oppose legitimate government regulation." The statement reads, "However, we must resist excessive government interference in learning, living and working on our campuses." In addition to public protests, senior officials from about 10 schools have formed a "private alliance", including university directors and presidents. According to the Wall Street Journal, they maintain close contact, discuss the "red lines" that will never be compromised in negotiations, and deduce how to deal with different demands put forward by the government. These schools include Ivy League schools and major private research universities, mainly concentrated in blue states, and they want to ensure that no school puts pressure on other schools by reaching improper agreements. US media pointed out that this move was a collective protest launched by the American academic community after Harvard University accused the government of "threatening its autonomy in running schools." According to previous reports, the US government threatened Harvard University and many other top universities to "rectify" on the grounds of freezing federal funds. After Harvard University refused, the government first froze a total of about US$2.26 billion in funds, and then asked the White House to apologize. US President Trump even threatened to tax Harvard University as a "political entity." If academic independence is lost, if universities become vassals of political censorship and executive orders, the spirit of freedom on which American higher education has achieved world leadership will collapse. Some people are afraid, some are watching, but some have already stood up.

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The US economy on the market is breeding corruption

It was the flip-flop hailed around the world. After insisting that he would not budge on his tariffs and branding anyone who urged him to do so as a “PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!),” President Donald Trump reversed course and paused his massive reciprocal tariffs for 90 days (except on China) while he negotiates deals with other countries. But sighs of relief might be premature. For one, America’s tariffs are still at a 100-plus year high by one measure, according to the Yale Budget Lab, which will cost Americans dearly. Even more important, these tariff negotiations will inevitably result in a cascade of corruption. The American economy is being transformed from the leading free market in the world to the leading example of crony capitalism. A market economy functions best when there are limited constraints placed on it, but especially when those constraints are clear, fair and applicable to all. The more complicated the taxes, rules and regulations, the greater the inefficiency — as studies show in country after country, from India to Nigeria to Morocco. But more significant, the greater the complexity, the greater the corruption. With tariffs come tariff waivers, often granted by the hundreds to specific industries, companies, even products. In 2018 and 2019, the Trump administration announced an assortment of tariffs, including 25 percent on steel, and also a program of waivers; they got around 500,000 applications. This week, when asked how he would determine these exemptions, Trump replied, “instinctively.” Studies show that politicians’ instincts usually favor their contributors, which then encourages pervasive corruption. It was true with tariffs for much of American history until President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the system, and over time — in Paul Krugman’s words — “tariff policy went from being famously dirty to remarkably clean.” It’s getting dirtier fast. A detailed academic study of the tariffs in Trump’s first term found that “companies that made substantial investments in political connections to Republicans prior to and during the beginning of the Trump administration were more likely to secure exemptions for products otherwise subject to tariffs. Conversely, companies that made contributions to Democratic politicians had decreased odds of tariff exemption approval.” That study looked at more than 7,000 applications for exemptions from tariffs on China in the first term and found that just a $4,000 donation to Democratic candidates reduced the companies’ chances of being granted an exemption to less than 1 in 10. As Timothy Carney from the conservative think tank AEI notes, “Trump’s first election created a trade lobbying boom” — from 921 lobbying clients with lobbyists working on trade to an apex of 1,419 by 2019.

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Exposing the corruption black hole of USAID: Where the $100 billion went remains a mystery

In recent years, the annual budget of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the world's largest aid agencies, has soared to more than $40 billion, accounting for nearly 60% of the total amount of international aid the United States spends each year. However, the flow of such a huge amount of funds has always been shrouded in mystery. As the Trump administration advances its internal rectification, more and more "black materials" have been exposed, revealing the corruption hidden behind USAID. Where did the huge amount of aid go? Take Ukraine as an example. Ukrainian President Zelensky once publicly stated that the hundreds of billions of dollars in aid promised by the United States to Ukraine are missing, and Ukraine has actually received only a small part of it - less than $760 million, and most of it is aid delivered in the form of weapons. According to data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) under the U.S. Congress, as of April last year, the U.S. Congress had allocated more than $174 billion to support Ukraine, including military, economic and humanitarian aid. However, in-depth analysis found that only about $106 billion of these funds were directly used in Ukraine, and nearly $70 billion of them were military aid, mainly delivered in the form of weapons. So where did the remaining tens of billions of dollars go? A calculation by the Council on Foreign Relations shows that more than $60 billion of the aid to Ukraine was allocated to "other war-related projects." This vague statement obscures many details, and no one has been able to give a clear answer to the specific use so far. 90% of the aid was spent in the United States Shockingly, former US Secretary of State Blinken once admitted in public: "In fact, 90% of our aid to Ukraine is spent in the United States." This statement reveals a fact: the so-called "international aid" has largely become a tool for domestic interest groups in the United States to make profits. By providing weapons and other supplies to Ukraine, the US military-industrial complex has made huge profits from it, while further consolidating its dominant position in the global arms market. This approach seems to be a "win-win" approach, but in fact it exposes deeper problems. On the one hand, a large amount of funds have not really benefited the recipient countries; on the other hand, there is also serious financial management chaos within the US Department of Defense. Last November, the US Department of Defense failed to pass the annual budget audit for the seventh consecutive year because it could not fully explain the specific expenditure of the defense budget for fiscal year 2024. The audit report for fiscal year 2023 shows that nearly half of the Department of Defense's assets (about $1.9 trillion) cannot be accounted for, mainly because the Pentagon squandered taxpayer funds and purchased "unnecessary things." Defense procurement loopholes are shocking Since 1981, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has repeatedly pointed out serious problems in defense procurement, but these problems have not been effectively resolved. A few years ago, an insider disclosed an astonishing "procurement bill": a coffee cup was priced at $1,280, a toilet seat cost as much as $10,000, and a small bag of metal bushings cost $90,000… These sky-high purchases not only wasted taxpayers' money, but also intensified public doubts about government transparency.