Rick Newman

Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 in part because voters perceived his opponent, Hillary Clinton, to be a dishonest, self-dealing phony.

Trump has now pulled off the improbable: He makes Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill look like ethical exemplars, compared with the corruption endemic in Trump’s administration.

Whatever you think of Trump, there was legitimacy to his call, back in 2016, to “drain the swamp” and bring fresh blood to Washington. Team Clinton, it turned out, was the perfect foil for Trump, thanks to Hillary Clinton’s six-figure Wall Street speech-making, her shifty explanations for violating government policy by using a private email server, and the money flowing into the Clinton Foundation from shady deal-makers undoubtedly hoping for favors once Hillary ascended to the White House.

How quaint those Clinton controversies seem, compared with the Trump presidency.

Trump’s knifing of American law-enforcement agencies, while on a podium at the Helsinki “summit” with American enemy Vladimir Putin, visibly raised the possibility that Trump might sell out his own country to appease a ruthless dictator who at this moment is working to manipulate the upcoming U.S. elections. Trump is now going even further to aid Russian attacks against the United States, by saying Russia is no longer targeting U.S. elections. Intelligence officials contradict Trump and say Russia is still at it. The president of the United States is defending a foreign government that’s attacking the United States. Right now.

Before Trump’s capitulation to Putin, the president deserved the benefit of the doubt from rational observers on the question of Russian aid for his 2016 campaign, because there was no public evidence that Trump knowingly solicited or accepted any Russian help. But Trump’s defense of Putin is now evidence in itself. What does Putin have on Trump that would compel the American president to turn on his own country? Everybody wants to know, as Trump might say.

It’s now undeniably clear that Trump puts self above country, self above party and self above voter. Is Trump’s alliance with Putin an act of self-preservation? Is it personal opportunism? Is Trump doing Putin a favor in exchange for return favors? We don’t know, yet, but if there’s a trail of illegal Russian money in the Trump presidential campaign, or in Trump’s far-flung business empire, it’s likely that special prosecutor Robert Mueller knows about it, which means the public will, eventually. It’s now obvious why Trump has been trying for months to torpedo Mueller’s investigation, even though Trump claims to have done nothing wrong: If anybody knows the real reason Trump fawns over Putin, it’s Mueller.

Americans expect politicians to be self-serving. Trump doesn’t disappoint. But if you voted for Trump as a repudiation of Billary-style greasiness, you got duped. Team Trump is abusing its power in ways Hillary Clinton couldn’t even dream of – perhaps even to cover up crimes by the man elected to run it.

Then there are the more routine forms of corruption. Three Trump Cabinet members have resigned, so far, for abusing the perks of office. Former EPA commissioner Scott Pruitt stayed on the job for months after a vast pattern of grifting emerged, as if Trump saw no problem and was simply waiting for the flap to die down. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, meanwhile, has violated government stock-ownership rules meant to prevent top officials from benefiting from their own policy decisions. It might be an honest mistake, but there’s so much mendacity in the Trump administration that it is time to presume guilt rather than innocence.

Boy Wonder Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and White House factotum, has violated government ethics guidelines by retaining ownership in his family’s real-estate company while working for the government. There’s some evidence Kushner’s privately owned company has already enjoyed favored treatment from lenders and other business partners because of Kushner’s newfound access to power. Kushner had no experience in government before Trump became president, and he’s only at the White House because he fulfills Trump’s loyalty requirement. Competence and capabilities are irrelevant.

The Treasury Department just changed disclosure rules for some political groups in a way that will allow more rich donors to contribute anonymously to organizations that lobby for favored candidates and causes. Just what America needs: more opportunities for powerful people, including foreigners, to secretly manipulate U.S. elections. There’s much more, including unqualified companies getting government business because of personal friendships with Trump officials.

Trump has Clintonized the White House, and gone much further. He certainly matches Bill Clinton’s sneaky infidelity, with his porn-star affairs and secret hush payments. Hillary Clinton alienated voters by, among other things, shirking responsibility for her mistakes and rarely taking the blame for anything gone wrong. But she was an amateur compared with Trump, who lies every day, calls his own statements “fake news” and now courts a dictator associated with numerous assassinations. Even the Clinton Foundation, which took money from every opportunist hoping to get an audience with a Clinton, didn’t stoop that low.

This isn’t a defense of Hillary Clinton. She lost the 2016 election because of her own arrogance and mistakes. But it’s time for those who thought they were getting something better, in Trump, to realize they were wrong.

Yet he's the man that has tackled the Inequities of slanted business practices by foreign trade..

Tariffs an example... NATO another, the UN most assuredly.....

Appears there is move toward zero tarriff on some products and better pricing on tariffs against the US.. Given the meeting with the EU the other day...Yea. He bles that one too..🙄

No. Korea. Met that little punk on his own terms and brought it about to talking peace, yet, he is condemned for his action..

He may not know everything anout Foreign affairs but he did go in and hit other issues no other presidents would bring out...

One thing is for sure other world leaders must listen because they don’t know what Trump will do but know he is a man of action... I’ll take that over imaginery lines drawn in the sand any day...

Finally given the obstruction President Trump has endured his success ratio means even more. I’ll stand with him as I like very much what he has thus far done to benefit our country..

Yet he's the man that has tackled the Inequities of slanted business practices by foreign trade..

Tariffs an example... NATO another, the UN most assuredly.....

Appears there is move toward zero tarriff on some products and better pricing on tariffs against the US.. Given the meeting with the EU the other day...Yea. He bles that one too..🙄

No. Korea. Met that little punk on his own terms and brought it about to talking peace, yet, he is condemned for his action..

He may not know everything anout Foreign affairs but he did go in and hit other issues no other presidents would bring out...

One thing is for sure other world leaders must listen because they don’t know what Trump will do but know he is a man of action... I’ll take that over imaginery lines drawn in the sand any day...

Finally given the obstruction President Trump has endured his success ratio means even more. I’ll stand with him as I like very much what he has thus far done to benefit our country..

For some reason you always hit the nail on the head. 😁

Again I royally agree with you. Have a wonderful day and don't do like I did Monday morning and run off the eastern porch with your cat little man while trying to keep old mother from taking my fine Cuban cigars the men snuck in to me.

While trying to get my cigars she pushed the forward handle on my wheelchair causing us to run off the eastern porch with mother nurse on top of me, little man jumped to safety, mother nurse got a bloody nose, I got a knot on my forehead and a broke arm righy above my elbow.

Now mother nurse is acting crazy, always fussing with my bed or pillows wanting to run get me things I don't want or need. I want a cigar but can't smoke around my oxygen MACHINE.

I was so miserable with all the banging going on and mother nurse acting like a mother hen with one chick always fussing over me i threatened to fire her if she didnt let me alone.

Thursday morning several of my men woke me up at 04:00 hundred hours with a hot cup of coffee and grim looks on their faces. I noticed mother nurse wasn't with them and when I asked about her they all came down on me.

They were peeved because I was so mean to her and threatened to fire her. The noise I was fussing about was them building a rail aroung the porch so I couldn't accidently run off the porch again. All on her orders for my safety.

They also built a cabinet and wired lights so we could make coffee and see even cabinets for my cigars. A refrigerator for soft drinks and bottled water. All on mother nurse's orders. I felt like a heel.

Any way the men helped me into my wheelchair and we headed for the eastern porch the lights were on and the coffee was ready I noticed several extra chairs and was pleased for the additional company.

Anyway after all the lovey dovey, apologies, rules, understandings, smeared lipstick on both cheeks and foreheads fine Cuban cigar and a hot cup of coffee, no cream and my faithful cat little man in my lap.

We all settled back to watch God's beautiful sunrise and breathe the sweet smell of the tall pines trees as the wind blows gently through them. Heaven here on earth.

Hmmm, kinda strange that O' was on camera saying to 'fundamentally transform America'... Doesn't show up on the Trump Derangement meter...

And I don't believe Trump has ever 'suicided' somebody.

Love him or hate him, Trump IS the master of the deal. And its starting to come out. N. Korea, dismantling nuclear test sites. Sending soldiers reamins home after 70 some years. Dealing with Putin in a sane and decent manner. Not just rushing in and trying to start WWIII..


And, I have to ask here, what business is it of ANYBODY'S how many affairs Trump had...?? It has nothing to do with his performance in office...

Hi Linda! It seems to me you are really on a roll today. Keep it up.

For some reason you always hit the nail on the head. 😁

Again I royally agree with you. Have a wonderful day and don't do like I did Monday morning and run off the eastern porch with your cat little man while trying to keep old mother from taking my fine Cuban cigars the men snuck in to me.

While trying to get my cigars she pushed the forward handle on my wheelchair causing us to run off the eastern porch with mother nurse on top of me, little man jumped to safety, mother nurse got a bloody nose, I got a knot on my forehead and a broke arm righy above my elbow.

Now mother nurse is acting crazy, always fussing with my bed or pillows wanting to run get me things I don't want or need. I want a cigar but can't smoke around my oxygen MACHINE.

I was so miserable with all the banging going on and mother nurse acting like a mother hen with one chick always fussing over me i threatened to fire her if she didnt let me alone.

Thursday morning several of my men woke me up at 04:00 hundred hours with a hot cup of coffee and grim looks on their faces. I noticed mother nurse wasn't with them and when I asked about her they all came down on me.

They were peeved because I was so mean to her and threatened to fire her. The noise I was fussing about was them building a rail aroung the porch so I couldn't accidently run off the porch again. All on her orders for my safety.

They also built a cabinet and wired lights so we could make coffee and see even cabinets for my cigars. A refrigerator for soft drinks and bottled water. All on mother nurse's orders. I felt like a heel.

Any way the men helped me into my wheelchair and we headed for the eastern porch the lights were on and the coffee was ready I noticed several extra chairs and was pleased for the additional company.

Anyway after all the lovey dovey, apologies, rules, understandings, smeared lipstick on both cheeks and foreheads fine Cuban cigar and a hot cup of coffee, no cream and my faithful cat little man in my lap.

We all settled back to watch God's beautiful sunrise and breathe the sweet smell of the tall pines trees as the wind blows gently through them. Heaven here on earth.

Egaddddsssss, don’™t you think wrestling is a little too dangerous now!!! Holy crumb marine~~ a broken arm too.. I was going to suggest a friendly arm wrestle in place of taken her down.... Lololol ya crazy nut!!!

Andddd you were her cushion when landing no less... Such a true gentlemen you are!!!

I bet little man won’t be all that eager to go wheelchair drag racen anymore....lololo The visual of it all hysterical!! I know, a sick puppy I am...Please forgive me..

Now, very seriously sounds like mother nurse will let you have a whole bunch of cigars during the recovery period and I’m sure she feels terrible while smiling she landed on you...

Good in everything that happens look at the nice set up all of you can now enjoy!! Very cool...

Please take care and no more porch sailen ok??

Let us know how your doing too please..