Trump's True Crimes

Trump’s True Crimes Episode 81: Undermining Democracy Abroad

This is *Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 81: Undermining Democracy Abroad.* The President of the United States is meant to be the world’s leading defender of democracy. But during Donald Trump’s time in office, he often sided not with democratic allies, but with authoritarian strongmen. Trump praised Vladimir Putin, calling him a genius and denying U.S. intelligence reports about Russian election interference. He echoed the Kremlin’s propaganda while undermining America’s allies in NATO. He even withheld military aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure its government into investigating Joe Biden — a move so corrupt it led to his first impeachment. But Russia wasn’t the only regime Trump cozied up to. He fell “in love,” as he put it, with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un. He praised China’s Xi Jinping and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. And he turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered, because U.S. arms deals and Jared Kushner’s personal ties to the Saudi royals mattered more than human rights. At every turn, Trump weakened America’s moral authority abroad. He treated autocrats with admiration, while insulting democratic leaders in Europe and Canada. He pulled out of agreements designed to strengthen global security, and in doing so, emboldened the very regimes that want to see democracy fail. This wasn’t just reckless diplomacy. It was part of a pattern: undermine alliances, empower dictators, and make the world less safe — all while America’s enemies benefited. Join us next time on *Trump’s True Crimes* for Episode 82: *Gag Orders Violated.*

Trump’s True Crimes Episode 80: USPS Sabotage Before 2020 Election

This is *Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 80: USPS Sabotage Before 2020 Election.* The United States Postal Service has long been one of America’s most trusted institutions. But in 2020, Donald Trump turned it into a political weapon. Why? Because mail-in voting threatened his grip on power. Trump spent months attacking mail-in ballots, falsely claiming they were fraudulent. At the same time, his administration was working behind the scenes to make mail voting harder. He installed a loyalist, Louis DeJoy, as Postmaster General — a man with no postal experience but deep Republican fundraising ties. DeJoy immediately ordered sweeping changes: removing high-speed mail sorting machines, cutting overtime, and reducing post office hours. These moves slowed mail delivery across the country — just as millions of Americans were preparing to vote by mail during a pandemic. The result? Mail piled up in warehouses. Medications and paychecks were delayed. And most critically, ballots were at risk of not being delivered on time to count. Trump’s White House denied it was sabotage. But Trump himself let the truth slip. He openly admitted that if the Postal Service was fully funded, too many people would be able to vote — and in his own words, Republicans would never win. It was an attack not just on the Postal Service, but on democracy itself. Join us next time on *Trump’s True Crimes* for Episode 81: *Undermining Democracy Abroad.

Trump’s True Crimes Episode 79: Census Manipulation Attempt

This is Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 79: Census Manipulation Attempt. The Census is one of the oldest institutions in American democracy. Every ten years, it counts the people, and that count determines how political power and federal funding are distributed. It’s meant to be neutral, accurate, and fair. But Donald Trump saw it as something to weaponize. Trump’s administration made an unprecedented push to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The official excuse was enforcing the Voting Rights Act. But leaked documents later revealed the real plan: to suppress immigrant participation, shift political representation away from diverse urban areas, and give Republicans a long-term advantage in redistricting. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross pushed the change, despite the Census Bureau’s own experts warning it would reduce response rates and skew results. When the Supreme Court finally weighed in, Chief Justice John Roberts called the administration’s explanation “contrived.” The Court blocked the question—but the effort didn’t stop there. Behind the scenes, Trump’s team still tried to exclude undocumented immigrants from the Census count altogether. That move violated centuries of constitutional precedent. The Constitution is clear: the Census counts all “persons,” not just citizens. But Trump insisted on bending the rules. Why? Because redrawing congressional districts based only on citizens would strip representation from immigrant-heavy states and hand more seats to whiter, more conservative regions. It was a blatant attempt to rig the political map for a generation. Civil rights groups, states, and immigrant advocates fought back. Multiple courts struck down Trump’s attempts. In the end, the Census counted everyone. But the damage was done. Fear and confusion spread through immigrant communities, and millions of people hesitated to participate. That chilling effect was part of the strategy all along. The Census manipulation attempt showed how far Trump was willing to go to twist the machinery of democracy in his favor. It wasn’t just about numbers on a form—it was about who counts in America, and who gets erased. This is Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 79: Census Manipulation Attempt. And next, we turn to Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 80: USPS Sabotage Before 2020 Election—how Trump and his allies tried to cripple the Postal Service to block mail-in voting and tilt an election.

Trump’s True Crimes Episode 78: Illegal Emoluments at D.C. Hotel

This is *Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 78: Illegal Emoluments at D.C. Hotel.* The presidency is supposed to serve the people, not the president’s wallet. But from the moment Donald Trump entered the White House, he saw dollar signs. The U.S. Constitution’s Emoluments Clause forbids any president from taking money or gifts from foreign governments. The founders knew it would corrupt American democracy. Trump ignored it. He refused to divest from his businesses, and at the heart of it all sat the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.—just a few blocks from the Oval Office. Almost overnight, the hotel became a hub for pay-to-play politics. Foreign governments and lobbyists rushed to book suites, host galas, and throw parties, knowing that every dollar spent went directly into Trump’s pockets. Saudi lobbyists spent hundreds of thousands at the hotel while pressing Trump on arms sales. Kuwait moved its National Day celebration there. Bahrain, Turkey, Malaysia, and Qatar all followed suit. It wasn’t about luxury—it was about influence. The message was unmistakable: stay at Trump’s hotel, and you’ll get Trump’s ear. Watchdogs sounded the alarm. Lawsuits accused Trump of violating the Constitution. Oversight investigations later uncovered at least $3.7 million in foreign payments to Trump’s hotel while he was president. That money didn’t go to America—it went straight into the business he refused to give up. And it wasn’t just foreign powers. Conservative groups, Republican politicians, and wealthy special interests turned the D.C. hotel into their clubhouse, pouring millions into Trump’s brand to curry favor. Trump even tried to host the G7 summit at his Doral resort in Florida, only backing down when public outrage boiled over. The presidency became a business venture. The White House turned into an extension of the Trump Organization. And the American people were left with a president more interested in room bookings than the rule of law. The Trump International Hotel in D.C. has since been sold. But its four years as the ultimate symbol of corruption remain a warning. The Emoluments Clause was meant to stop this exact kind of abuse. Trump bulldozed it—and cashed in. This is *Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 78: Illegal Emoluments at D.C. Hotel.* And next, we turn to *Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 79: Census Manipulation Attempt*—how Trump tried to rig the 2020 Census to silence immigrants, reshape political power, and lock in Republican dominance for a generation.

Trump’s True Crimes Episode 77: Foreign Influence in Inauguration Fund

Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 77: Foreign Influence in Inauguration Fund When Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on January 20th, 2017, the world saw a grand display on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. But behind the scenes, the inauguration became something else entirely—a money funnel. The Trump Inaugural Committee raised a record-breaking **\$107 million**, more than twice as much as Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, and far more than what was necessary to stage the event. So where did all that money come from? And more importantly, where did it go? That’s where the real story begins. Federal investigators later uncovered that the Inaugural Committee became a backdoor for **foreign money**—from countries like Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia—flowing into American politics, in violation of U.S. law. Foreign nationals are strictly prohibited from donating to U.S. political campaigns and events. Yet, through shell companies, straw donors, and shadowy intermediaries, foreign actors found a way in. One glaring example: Sam Patten, a lobbyist with ties to pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians. Patten pleaded guilty in 2018 to funneling $50,000 from a Ukrainian oligarch into Trump’s Inaugural Committee. He even admitted to using a straw purchaser—an American citizen—to buy four inauguration tickets for the oligarch. That’s not just shady. That’s illegal. Another case involved Imaad Zuberi, a California businessman who donated nearly a million dollars to Trump’s inauguration. Zuberi later pleaded guilty to tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. He admitted that much of his political giving came from overseas clients, particularly in the Middle East, who wanted access to U.S. politicians. In other words, foreign governments and elites were literally buying their way into Trump’s Washington. But it wasn’t only about the money coming in. It was also about the money going out. Huge chunks of the inauguration funds were funneled into Trump’s own properties. Millions were spent at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., at inflated rates. The nonprofit Inaugural Committee even paid over \$1.5 million for ballroom space that the hotel itself valued at a fraction of that. According to investigators, Ivanka Trump personally negotiated those deals. Think about that: foreign-tied money comes into the Inaugural Committee, then that money gets redirected into Trump’s businesses. That’s foreign influence laundered into personal profit. The inauguration was supposed to be a celebration of democracy. Instead, it looked more like an auction—where access to Trump and his inner circle went to the highest bidder. Corporate lobbyists, foreign oligarchs, and questionable intermediaries walked away with favors, influence, and a direct line to the new administration. The long-term impact? Decisions on foreign policy, trade, and security that may have been tilted in favor of those who helped bankroll Trump’s rise. When foreign powers can buy a seat at the table, American democracy is no longer working for the American people. It’s working for those who paid the most. This is the deeper truth about Trump’s inauguration: it wasn’t just a historic day in Washington. It was a **cash-for-access scheme**, a blending of political power and personal enrichment that left the United States vulnerable to foreign influence from the very start of Trump’s presidency.