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    • supertroop · 9 days ago

      That’s it??? With all the corruption he has visibly demonstrated and his long list of boot licks I would have expected 10x that.

      • reverius42 · 9 days ago

        He's extremely corrupt, but not actually that good at making money and never has been.

        • tinbad · 9 days ago

          This is just what’s known, now. Actual amounts could easily be 10/20x or more.

          • arkis22 · 9 days ago

            Don't underestimate it. His net worth increased more from crypto in the past 2 years than it did in 30 years of being a new york real estate nepo baby, when his net worth basically treaded water

            • mthoms · 9 days ago

              That’s just what was officially disclosed.

            • eclipticplane · 9 days ago

              And a few decades ago, Carter put his family peanut farm into a blind trust to avoid the mere suspicion of a conflict of interest.

              • AmericanOP · 9 days ago

                "Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me." - Donald Trump, Jan 2026

                  • jfengel · 7 days ago

                    That article was written in January 2017. I think that even the article writer would be shocked by how bad the reality of it actually is.

                  • mlrtime · 8 days ago

                    And yet the Congress refuses to pass any insider trading laws for themselves.

                  • nutjob2 · 9 days ago

                    The Grifter in Chief.

                    You also have to add the numerous kickbacks Trump's family has received through deals done by the federal government.

                    All this is hardly reported because the administration has successfully cowed the media.

                    • ethagnawl · 9 days ago

                      The Overton Window has shifted so far that what would have previously been regime ending scandals are now everyday occurrences.

                      Also, you're right about the media being cowardly but there's also just too much to report and keep people updated on. Even the more independent outlets who try ... can't.

                      • nutjob2 · 9 days ago

                        > but there's also just too much to report and keep people updated on

                        This is the biggest indictment of the media, they can't summarize or aggregate? It's not giving the public a true picture. Crooks can get away with corruption in plain sight merely by doing lots of it? It beggars belief.

                        • ourmandave · 9 days ago

                          They could skip coverage of the UFC fight, and Kennedy Center name, the reflecting pool, and the 250th carnival, and WH ballroom, and all the things that are practically nothing compared to all the other f*ckery.

                        • AmericanOP · 9 days ago

                          A scandal a day makes day trading on war news from the oval office okay

                          • whyage · 9 days ago

                            I wonder if Democrats will have the courage to pursue justice to the fullest if/when they're back in power.

                            • inamberclad · 9 days ago

                              Sadly I think not. They had their opportunity in 2020.

                              • enraged_camel · 9 days ago

                                Biden ran on a platform of Back to Normal. That’s what voters wanted after four years of crazy.

                                I think the zeitgeist today is different. Because Trump has dialed the crazy up to eleven in his second term and a lot of Dems are now pissed. That’s why democratic socialism/leftism is having a resurgence. And, based on what I’m seeing on the ground, there’s now a strong appetite for justice and retribution.

                                • kdheiwns · 9 days ago

                                  We're a little over 1 year in and the sudden ramp up feels absolutely nuts. In 2028 people will start to feel like it's normal. Just look at places like Russia. Everyone is used to the corruption and thinks it works well enough for them, so they fear any change will be worse. A lot of Americans have already stopped denying the corruption like they did last term, and have retreated into saying, "yeah, it's bad, but (other candidate) would be worse." Same terrifying mindset.

                                  • ourmandave · 9 days ago

                                    Progressive resurgence is because the economy and housing is unaffordable thanks to tariffs and a pointless war.

                                    And the president who repeatedly says he doesn't care.

                                    The dems need to run on fixing the economy and not retribution. They can go after him once they're in power, but don't run on it.

                                    • unsnap_biceps · 9 days ago

                                      Honestly, I don't know that going after them is going to work out. It turns into a media circus and the propaganda media excels as using that circus to sap support. I really think that they need to run on fixing living. Most people don't feel like they're a part of the economy. It's a "that's something rich people worry about". Simpler message will resonate deeper. We want to bring the American dream back to reality.

                                      Focusing on real results will eventually sap away the power of the distractions.

                                      • atmavatar · 8 days ago

                                        It is guaranteed we'll quickly find ourselves back here or worse if we do anything short of imprisoning virtually all involved in the current administration, voting out most members of the House and Senate, impeaching and replacing most of the Supreme Court justices, and enacting a number of constitutional amendments to fix the cracks in the system, not to mention (and to your point) breaking up the media empires consolidated under a small handful of billionaires expressly to kowtow to the current President.

                                        None are likely to occur.

                                        Anyone without the appetite for such a clean-up process is OK with it starting all over again, and unfortunately, you're probably right that the majority of people will ultimately fall under this category.

                                      • enraged_camel · 8 days ago

                                        >> The dems need to run on fixing the economy and not retribution. They can go after him once they're in power, but don't run on it.

                                        This isn’t going to work. Not this time. Because it’s basically classic Democratic centrism and Dem voters are fed up with it. We are already seeing evidence of this in all the special elections and primaries. By the time this November’s election is over, it will be undeniable.

                                      • JeremyNT · 8 days ago

                                        > I think the zeitgeist today is different. Because Trump has dialed the crazy up to eleven in his second term and a lot of Dems are now pissed. That’s why democratic socialism/leftism is having a resurgence. And, based on what I’m seeing on the ground, there’s now a strong appetite for justice and retribution.

                                        Does it really matter how much the minority party is pissed though? The American public knew how corrupt this guy was, shrugged, and voted him back into office.

                                        If Democrats do win back the house and senate it will only be by the thinnest of margins. There seems to be little appetite to fix any of these structural problems outside of the "Democratic base."

                                        • dartharva · 8 days ago

                                          Nothing's going to happen. Nothing ever happens.

                                      • iririririr · 9 days ago

                                        the system is such that the only incentive career politicians (and we don't have other kind anymore) is the campaign. they make the same money if they lose. why would they win? its a lot more work! they just have to keep it at a minimum to be considered for next campaigns.

                                        • bulbar · 8 days ago

                                          You don't get up the ranks over years and decades by not caring.

                                          Politics is not foremost about money, but about power. You can make a lot of money, obviously, but the driver is power.

                                          • thrance · 8 days ago

                                            Yeah, for the GOP. Just listen to """centrist""" democrats for 10 minutes: these people don't care al all about winning. They don't care that a pedophile oligarch is doing irreversible damage to the union, day after day. In fact, they spend more time and energy fighting the left-wing instead of the right, because they, progressives, are an actual threat to their business model of getting paid handsomely for losing to fascists and letting them do what they want.

                                            • iririririr · 7 days ago

                                              alternatively you don't get on the bigger tickets actually fighting for change. so?

                                          • ourmandave · 9 days ago

                                            Jack Smith is tanned, rested and ready to resume the prosecution.

                                            Assuming the house impeaches him he won't have to wait 2 years.

                                            • rvz · 9 days ago

                                              Oh sweet summer child. Both Republicans and Democrats won’t do anything.

                                              Given that many of these members of congress of both parties were stock trading ahead of key legislation being announced they won’t do anything to change that.

                                              • jchw · 9 days ago

                                                Unfortunately, it would seem the majority of dems are just jealous that they don't have the chutzpah to be so flagrantly, blatantly corrupt, and stick to less lucrative and more established corrupt practices.

                                                See, discussions like this go nowhere productive, but it's not because the people are incapable of productive discussion, or because the subject matter is incapable of being discussed productively. It's just that there's literally nothing productive to say about this complete and utter fuck show. We live in a world where the most accurate prediction of the world 10 years from now is current-day satire. There is nothing sensible to be said about the state of affairs of politics.

                                                • bulbar · 8 days ago

                                                  It must be talked about though and resisted where possible (i.e. when voting). Otherwise, the US will be Russia 2.0 in no time.

                                                • tekacs · 9 days ago

                                                  After Biden pardoned his family members, I would be surprised if Trump didn't complete his term by pardoning his family and all those that he works with.

                                                  It is – to my knowledge – an unsettled question, technically speaking, whether a president can pardon themselves. I would be unsurprised if he tried anyway, though.

                                                  Of course, states could still pursue actions against them, but I wonder in which cases they'd have standing / clear cases to pursue.

                                                  • jasonlotito · 9 days ago

                                                    > I would be surprised if Trump didn't complete his term by pardoning his family and all those that he works with.

                                                    As we have learned, we can ignore all of that, or they can find ways around this. The Supreme Court has made it clear the President has amazing powers.

                                                  • mlrtime · 8 days ago

                                                    Democrats couldn't pass any type of legal structure around crypto in the first place.

                                                    I realize HN is very anti-crypto, but we should agree that specific laws are needed to "pursue justice" wrt crypto.

                                                  • vnext · 9 days ago

                                                    It is all about interests, not the people.

                                                      • arkis22 · 9 days ago

                                                        "BUT WHAT ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN!?"

                                                        what a bummer

                                                        • mountainriver · 9 days ago

                                                          Corruption is what kills countries.

                                                          Our inability to stop this is a very bad sign about our future.

                                                          • alanwreath · 8 days ago

                                                            Corruption is ever present. No counter to it is what kills countries.

                                                            The US has been security by obscurity in so many ways, this latest abuse is just further evidence that counting on it would only ever delay abuse for [checks calendar] about 250 years.

                                                            And really is has been in free fall for decades, the fact that so many recent examples are so flagrant (along with this) is what is upsetting (mainly because no one with any power is moving to stop it in any meaningful way).

                                                            • lobsterthief · 8 days ago

                                                              In some countries (e.g. Uruguay) it’s possible to ingrain anticorruption ideals into the fabric of society. This lowers the overall level of corruption as citizens are more likely to feel it’s wrong and they’re raised to call out corruption when they see it. I guess we’d call this “social responsibility”. Of course, the social aspect must be coupled with governmental and legislative changes aimed directly at increasing transparency and reducing corruption—this is what was done in Uruguay, at least.

                                                              Corruption isn’t eliminated entirely but is drastically reduced. Taxes then get spent on society instead of corrupt politicians. The result is more bureaucracy but it also placed the country lower than the US on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)[0]. CPI has its own measurement issues but is the best we’ve got.

                                                              [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

                                                              • alanwreath · 7 days ago

                                                                Well said! I guess I’d overlooked that aspect of corruption.

                                                                Especially poignant in my home where leaders make corruption===outwitting laws===smart. Perception can lead to widespread adoption.

                                                                But I guess if our laws actually held up corruption wouldn’t outwit the laws in the first place.

                                                          • chips_not_fries · 9 days ago

                                                            [flagged]

                                                            • johnea · 8 days ago

                                                              > Weak country Weak constitution

                                                              I have to agree with this in whole.

                                                              It's like looking at the EU now and wondering, how did they not see this glaring dependency before now? Both the petro energy source and the US military support were never as secure as it seems they were assumed to be.

                                                              Here in the US, we're still sitting on a constitution from 250 years ago. Apparently no one though an incoming presidential administration would rape and pillage the place like we've seen in the last year and a half.

                                                              European countries did largely overhaul their constitutional documents after WWII. The EU in general has much more modern legislative bodies, and electoral systems.

                                                              Here in the US, we're still stuck with founding documents that expect Pony Express to deliver the ballots 8-/

                                                              • omnimus · 8 days ago

                                                                Founding documents are worthless if you don't care to honor them.

                                                                EU might have more modern legislation but even there the far right is starting to realize when they are in power they can generally ignore the legislation or work quickly to dismantle it. Trump showed and emboldened them, tech bros are providing funding and oligarchs are steadily gaining power. It's quickly coming from the east and only reason EU might be a bit more ready than US is that it's many decentralized countries with always shifting powers.

                                                                • johnea · 7 days ago

                                                                  While I agree with you, laws are being routinely ignored by the US executive now.

                                                                  But I would also say, the only impediment to executive overreach has been the constitution, as little as that impediment has been.

                                                                  Albeit the current supreme court has also stretched the interpretation beyond all previous bounds.

                                                                  The US certainly needs a modern revised constitution, but I don't see the DNC as having the vision or the balls to accomplish such a thing.

                                                                  We're pretty much fucked here...

                                                                  • rspoerri · 6 days ago

                                                                    Headline: People in power dont want to put people in power into prison!

                                                                    How can an executive that steals millions of $ not go to prison, while somebody stealing food in a store can?

                                                                    Why can police kill people and maybe not even be investigated for it, while somebody else is tried for being a terrorist when doing the same?

                                                                    The american system is corrupt to the core, but only for the rich and powerful.

                                                            • bulbar · 8 days ago

                                                              So, when would billionaires want to remove politicians? When the politicians are

                                                              a) too corrupt or

                                                              b) not corrupt enough

                                                              The answer seems obvious. To me, at least, apparently not to quite many US citizen.

                                                              • omnimus · 8 days ago

                                                                Why is this flagged? WSJ is not some obscure blog.

                                                                • mlrtime · 8 days ago

                                                                  My guess is that the discussions lead nowhere except to predictable rants about America = bad. There is no discourse here, no rational conversations, just the same ranting we see over and over.

                                                                  • addandsubtract · 8 days ago

                                                                    Welp, might as well accept the status quo and go back to consuming our soma.

                                                                  • akagusu · 8 days ago

                                                                    There is a sustained censorship campaign on HN to suppress everything that make the current administration looks bad.

                                                                    SV billionaires, including YC related folks, paid lots of money to buy the presidency for Trump.

                                                                    • tim333 · 8 days ago

                                                                      >Off-Topic: Most stories about politics

                                                                    • rsynnott · 8 days ago

                                                                      What baffles me is, how do the people who like him justify this to themselves? Do they just pretend it's not happening? Like, this is third world dictator levels of corruption, but the third world dictator's corruption is _usually_ not so blatantly visible while it's going on. This is all very... out in the open.