In case you haven’t noticed, Donald Trump doesn’t just want power. He wants what Vladimir Putin has: obscene wealth and abject loyalty. And Trump has undoubtedly picked up autocratic tricks from his puppet master. But as president of the richest, most powerful country in history, Trump will have “absolute immunity” to enrich himself unchecked. So even Putin must realize the potential for his puppet to become his master.
Exhibit A is Elon Musk’s net worth skyrocketing to $400 billion after buying his place in MAGA world as Trump’s first broligarch. Remember Mikhail Khodorkovsky? He was once the richest man in Russia. But it wasn’t enough that Putin demanded a substantial cut of his wealth as due tribute; he threw Khodorkovsky in prison for daring to challenge his absolute rule over Russia.
Musk and other tech, oil, and crypto billionaires won’t make the same mistake. They’ll gladly pay Trump his mob-boss cut and shower with loyalty. And, thanks to their greed and fear, by the end of his presidency, Trump is bound to be richer than Musk.
To this end, Trump is stacking his Cabinet with twice as many billionaires as his predecessors had millionaires. But, again, Americans beware: Trump’s Whites-only billionaire boys’ club isn’t about public service. It’s about targeting the biggest mark in history — the United States. Because only two types of people matter to this gilded-tower grifter: those filthy rich like him and those unconditionally loyal to him. Everyone else is just a sucker to fleece or a loser to mock.
It’s self-evident that Trump couldn’t care less about governing, national security, or the general welfare. But craven Republicans couldn’t care less, either. Their performative concerns and deliberations are a sham. iPINIONS is convinced they’ll let Trump have his way with Cabinet nominations – just like they let him get away with two impeachments.
This is Trump turning American democracy into a Russian-style autocracy. This is how democracy dies – with Trump laughing all the way to the bank.
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