The Builder in Chief

... [W]e must remember that a weak and broken man like Donald Trump cannot succeed without the support of rich and powerful enablers. From the feckless and compliant Republican Congress to the billionaires and corporate executives, money is just as essential to his success as obedience. And rather than facing a chorus of “no” from these people, many have chosen to say “yes” to him by handing over tens of millions of dollars.

This has been an ongoing reality since his inauguration on Jan. 20, which was funded by the corporate elite who proudly stood behind him in the rotunda of our nation’s Capitol. But it came into fresh focus again yesterday when the White House released the names of 37 corporations and rich donors whose dollars are being used to strip away the history and memories of our White House to make way for Trump’s enormous Mar-a-Lago-style ballroom which will dwarf the People’s House.

While specific dollar amounts were not noted, the list includes Altria Group, Amazon, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton, Caterpillar, Coinbase, Comcast, J. Pepe and Emilia Fanjul, Hard Rock International, Google, HP, Lockheed Martin, Meta, Micron, Microsoft, NextEra Energy, Palantir, Ripple, Reynolds American, T-Mobile, Tether America, Union Pacific Railroad, Adelson Family Foundation, Stefan E. Brodie, Betty Wold Johnson Foundation, Charles and Marissa Cascarilla, Edward and Shari Glazer, Harold Hamm, Benjamin Leon Jr., The Lutnick Family, The Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, Stephen A. Schwarzmann, Konstantin Sokolov, Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher, Paolo Tiramani and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

This list includes tech and AI giants, arms manufacturers, crypto financiers and wealthy individuals committed to funding Trump’s grotesque abuse of our history, traditions, values and democratic processes. While he has demolished the East Wing without explicit official approvals and with indifference to the will of the people, their money gives him cover and support. Their money tells him that he can continue to act as he sees fit.

“He is the builder in chief,” his lead propagandist Karoline Leavitt proudly said yesterday on Fox News. “In large part, he was reelected back to this People’s House because he is good at building things. He has done it his entire life, his entire career.”

Get it? Rather than lowering the price of eggs, making healthcare more affordable or making life more livable, Trump was reelected to build monuments to his ego.

Trump initially said this billionaires’ ballroom would cost $200 million; now he says it will cost $300 million, a sum he spouted without explaining how all that money is being raised or spent. (This along with lying that he wouldn’t “touch” the now gone East Wing.) Reportedly, the payments are being managed by the Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit that works with the National Park Service.

Make no mistake: Beneath the pseudo-legitimacy of these organizations is a coordinated campaign to channel corporate money and support for Donald Trump. For example: The BBC reported that, according to court documents, YouTube is paying $22 million as part of its legal settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over the platform’s suspension of his account in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

This is where we are: The Supreme Court won’t say no to Trump’s unfettered demolition. The Republicans in the House and Senate won’t question any of his lawlessness or abuse of power. Too many corporations and billionaires won’t say no when he demands more money. All this convinces Trump to keep going ... [Steven Beschloss]

apropos of my prior post?

 

 Below, from BARKING JUSTICE MEDIA: 

Since 2017, and with breathtaking speed since Trump’s re-election, the very fabric of American democracy has been torn apart: laws subverted, loyalists installed, dissent criminalized, and power consolidated with ruthless efficiency. Programs that protected the vulnerable have been erased, voices of truth silenced or hunted, and the levers of government twisted to serve not the people but oligarchs, cronies, and authoritarian ambition.

  
We are crossing critical thresholds. This is not a warning. It is already our reality, an America where rule of law, decency, and civic courage face extinction by design.