(Dobbs) More corruption. Out in the open. No oversight. It never stops.I liken Trump to an arsonist setting a fire, then rushing in to put it out, then collecting the insurance money for the damage the fire caused.
We probably don’t really need more evidence that Donald J. Trump has corrupted the principles of this nation. But two stories from yesterday bear repeating, because if we really didn’t need more evidence, voters in 2024 would have given Trump the boot and by now he might be in jail where he belongs. One story is the Sunday rally at the National Mall called “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Praise, Prayer, & Thanksgiving.” Not a bad idea on the face of it. A celebration of our 250 years as a nation. But there’s more behind the face. It wasn’t a patriotic rally. It was a religious rally. A Christian rally, on public land, at public expense. For nine hours, speakers tied the founding of the United States of America to Christianity. They included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House speaker Mike Johnston, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It is no surprise, after Hegseth established monthly prayer services at the Pentagon and asked Americans to pray for service members “in the name of Jesus Christ,” he urged this crowd in Washington to pray to “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” On public land, at public expense. And even less of a surprise, the president appeared in a video from the Oval Office. The man who once laughingly held a bible upside down in a photo op solemnly read verses from “2 Chronicles,” which those who argue that America is a Christian nation believe proves their point. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,” it says, “then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” It’s hard to know whether Trump was promoting Christianity as the nation’s savior, or Trump. But he was doing it from public land, at public expense. I would argue that someone needs to remind these people of two things. One is, most of the founding fathers were Christians, but their documented intent from their letters was not to create a Christian nation. And two is, the Constitution has a pesky little line that says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” That would preclude government endorsement, let alone funding, for a Christian-themed rally on the national mall. It would preclude any religious rally on public land, at public expense. Someone needs to remind them of all that, although the chance that they would listen is nil. The other story is Trump dropping his $10 billion lawsuit against his own government, filed after a rogue IRS contractor purloined the president’s and his sons’ first-term tax returns and released information to the public. The suit claimed that because the IRS was careless, the public release caused Trump and his family— Don Jr. and Eric in particular— “reputational and financial harm” and “public embarrassment.” My heart just bleeds for the whole dynasty. If they were suing for damages, what damages can Donald Trump, Don Jr., and Eric Trump show? They have used their positions of unparalleled influence to enrich themselves to the tune of billions. These guys didn’t get hurt. They grabbed the brass ring. But the thing about this story is, in exchange for dropping the lawsuit, an “anti-weaponization” fund is being established, a fund with the symbolic amount of $1,776,000,000, “for the payment of settlements against the United States.” To be clear, that’s one-and-three-quarter billion taxpayer dollars that can be passed out like popcorn. And who gets the windfall? According to the justice department, “victims of lawfare and weaponization,” and people persecuted for “political, personal or ideological reasons.” Already, a lawyer who represents more than 400 former defendants, convicted after the insurrection of January 6th, has announced that he will apply for “relief” for his clients. If the justice department’s description is true, then what’s the chance that if prosecutors and agents and others who were assigned during the Biden Administration to look into Donald Trump’s alleged crimes, then fired for doing their jobs…. what’s the chance that if they apply for compensation, they’ll get paid too? The answer is, zero to none. Conveniently, Trump’s criminal lawyer and now acting attorney general Todd Blanche will appoint a five-person board to oversee the fund, and does anyone believe its members won’t bend a knee to the president? What’s more, if they don’t, the president will have the power to fire them without cause. Not that “cause” has ever figured into his vindictive dismissals. The only “cause” he needs is that they don’t comply with his wishes. None of this will be subject to the approval of Congress. Leave a comment The question isn’t whether this new “anti-weaponization” fund to provide a jackpot for the president’s allies and supporters is legal. It’s whether it amounts to a slush fund. It’s whether it is ethical. The Washington Post editorial board wrote yesterday, “Republicans used to criticize ‘sue and settle’ tactics for changing federal policy outside of the democratic process, but the Trump administration is taking the practice to a new extreme.” When doesn’t it? I liken it to an arsonist setting a fire, then rushing in to put it out, then collecting the insurance money for the damage the fire caused. More corruption. Out in the open. No oversight. It never stops. Share © 2026 Greg Dobbs |