Americans seem to be especially susceptible to the grand promises of scam artists. Perhaps the extraordinary results of entrepreneurs who built great industrial and financial empires during the nation’s economic boom inspired people to get aboard the gravy train. Those with working class jobs have seen wages rise very little over the past 40 years, but not at a rate to keep up with inflation. There were strong incentives for them to embrace the promise of Donald Trump to “Make America Great Again.”
How realistic was it for anyone to believe that a man who arrived in his personal Boeing 757, with his name emblazoned on the fuselage, was committed to the effort of improving the economic status of working class Americans? Even superficial due diligence would fail to uncover any significant support for the indigent from such a man who claimed to be a billionaire.
The first test should have been to require Trump to disclose his tax returns as all candidates for president have done for decades. That would have disclosed the level of Trump’s income and his generosity in providing contributions to charity. Minimal donations would raise a doubt about Trump’s real concern for the working class.
As it turns out, the New York attorney general has filed charges against the Trump charitable foundation. NY State is seeking a $2.8 million restitution of foundation funds that were used for personal items, business legal obligations, and financing the election campaign. According to the attorney general’s report, Trump has personally donated little to the foundation since 2008.
Even before he was sworn into office, attentive citizens should have been concerned about Trump’s reluctance to cut his ties with his businesses. The traditional practice is for the presidents to place their assets in a blind trust. Thereafter they would have no involvement with those managing the assets or with any business decisions. But Trump has remained so closely connected to his businesses that critics have raised a question about his violation of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
American citizens have had to endure Trump’s mendacity and his lack of understanding of the balance of power between the president and Congress as well as his disrespect for the judiciary. But Trump’s approach to the presidency seems to be more than a get rich scheme that would just involve money. Now his involvement with Vladimir Putin places the whole country at risk.
Journalists have intimated that the Russians have some damaging information on Trump, but no one is able to disclose just what it is. Trump has consistently attacked the Mueller investigation of the Russian efforts to influence presidential elections. Trump incessantly attacks the FBI and American intelligence organizations that are so critical in this cyber world.
With the revocation of ex-CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance, Trump has announced a policy of restricting the capacity of our intelligence agents. Trump seems to fear that they might have the capacity to disclose his transgressions.
What started as a scam almost two years ago now places all Americans at risk.
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