Trump Turned the Presidency into the Ultimate Grift

I've never read or heard of a young person wanting to get rich by being the president of the United States. It's just not something one associates with being the president of the United States.

I remember elementary classes where the virtues of the presidency assured us, we have a great leader. Key phrases like "serving the public" and "people's president" were tossed out in civic classes assuring students of the integrity of the country's commander-in-chief. 

How times have changed.

We now have a convicted felon and sex abuser in the Oval Office who is getting richer every day. Trump has generated billions of dollars in income since returning to the presidency, largely through business ventures and investments tied to his family.

Here's the key sources of Donny's income:

- Cryptocurrency: Trump and his family made over one billion dollars in his first year back with crypto projects like World Liberty Finance and TRUMP meme coins.

- Policy intersections: Watchdog groups have cited policy decisions - such as executive orders on crypto assets, pardons, and critical mineral deals with foreign governments - that have coincided with the Trump family's activities. 

- Real Estate & Licensing: Trump properties and international ventures continue to generate significant revenue.

I discovered something alarming while researching this post; U.S. conflict-of-interest laws DO NOT prohibit the president from "participating personally and substantially in particular government matters that will affect his own financial interests."

Past presidents have always put their investments in a "blind trust" to avoid conflicts of interest. It was the ethical thing to do.

According to CNN, Trump promoted roughly 20 companies on his Truth Social platform within days of purchasing shares in those same businesses.

So, why is the president immune to laws that apply to the rest of the government and to all Americans? No other president has used that free pass for the presidency like Trump has.  

The answer goes back decades ago when Congress created a carveout, fearing that rigid divestment rules would hinder the president's ability to govern and address broad, national issues. 

Part of the reasoning for the exemption was to ensure the executive office could function without unnecessary legal jeopardy arising from presidential actions affecting the economy.

Politicians in Congress must have dropped LSD if they thought the free pass wouldn't be misused. They stupidly created a path for a psychopath like Trump to trample all over the constitution.

There are supposedly ethical and constitutional constraints, but Trump has ignored them like a good dictator. 

As it Stands, the national "general corruption" consensus recently conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice revealed that 92% of ALL voters agree political corruption is a massive structural problem in the Trump administration.

Red Lines Crossed: Trump Fouls FIFA's Reputation

Trump and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) crossed a red line long before they got called out this week for colluded in overturning a one-match suspension for American striker Folarin Balogun.

Now Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino are facing ethics and neutrality complaints filed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA's Ethics Committee.

When Trump publicly intervened on the suspension FIFA's disciplinary committee brazenly reversed the ban, freeing Balogun to play. It was a shocking display of Trump's power over an international organization.

The unprecedented reversal drew intense backlash. European football governing body UEFA strongly condemned the decision, stating that "FIFA had crossed a red line."

The London-based sports and human rights group FairSquare formally submitted a complaint against Infantino to the IOC which holds jurisdiction due to Infantino being an IOC member.

FairSquare, in its complaint, is questioning the credibility and integrity of Infantino. The organization said there was compelling evidence Infantino committed five clear breaches of IOC rules on political neutrality through statements or other clear expressions of support for Trump.

The organization said Infantino was promoting a FIFA fan site for the 2026 World Cup "which appears to have been part of a data-harvesting campaign run by entities linked to Trump." Sound familiar? It's one of Trump's favorite ways of exploiting confidential information on people. 

From the moment Infantino presented Trump a "Peace Prize" on Dec. 5, 2025, I knew Trump would use his sway to somehow corrupt the international soccer league. Trump didn't disappoint and consequently there's an international fallout.

Because Infantino decided to join the MAGA cult by giving Trump a fake trophy the die was cast. 

Don't think for a moment this is the end of Trump's meddling in FIFA affairs. He's already told Infantino that the American women's soccer team wouldn't play if trans women were allowed to compete in the World Cup tournament. And he wants it in writing.

Here's something interesting; Fans Bring Red Cards for Trump.

Trump and Infantino were greeted with boos at the start of the game and were later given a boo encore during the trophy

Update: Spain won. Trump refused to leave the stage after presenting the trophy. He finally had to be escorted away allowing the Spanish players to celebrate.

As it Stands, when it comes to red lines, Trump sees them as opportunities for grifting.