I had never encountered a media outlet called Tangle, but a reader recently shared an essay from that publication that addressed the incredible corruption of the Trump family, while implicitly noting the effect our political polarization has had on Americans’ recognition of proportionality.
The Tangle essay, written by Isaac Saul, reported on a Trump family activity that has received virtually no publicity other than one story in the New York Times. Evidently, Ivanka and Jared–daughter and son-in-law of our current President– are negotiating the purchase of a luxury hotel with Syrian billionaires–billionaires who are simultaneously lobbying the president to lift economic sanctions on their country.
As Saul notes, had the story been about Hunter Biden negotiating a Biden-branded luxury hotel with Syrian billionaires who were lobbying President Biden to lift economic sanctions on their country, the story would have generated far more coverage. “For some reason, the real story we’re living through right now — the one where Trump’s kids are funneling money directly to their family fortune while the U.S. government hands out favors in return — just doesn’t seem to get any traction with the public.”
Saul was no Hunter apologist; he wrote more than 20 stories about Hunter during the Biden administration, covering “everything from the suppression of the laptop story to the Twitter files to the business deals Hunter tried to loop his dad into to his prosecution for gun possession.” His point in this essay was the discrepancy.
Granted, there’s so much negative news spewing from this administration, there’s a tendency to tune it all out. As Saul writes, “News fatigue is real.”
But, to state it plainly: After reviewing the evidence of the first 15 months of President Trump’s second term, I believe the president is profiting off the office and making foreign policy decisions based on business interests to a level we’ve never seen or even conceived of before, and apparently nothing is being done to stop it.
As Saul notes, and as we have all seen, Republicans in Congress have opted for complete and utter fealty to Trump. There has been no oversight, no accountability, no pushback at all from the GOP officeholders who currently control the House and Senate. And as we know, Trump has fired most of the inspector generals and other federal watchdogs who were responsible for prosecuting fraud, grift and corruption.
Instead of indictments, congressional investigations, or public hearings, the best we are left with is great reporting from journalists, the occasional leak from the administration, a right-wing writer here or there willing to say the real thing out loud, and then a whole lot of “Occam’s razor” questions like, “Which is likelier, that the person who made a massive financial bet on oil prices 20 minutes before Trump announced a ceasefire knew about it or just got extraordinarily lucky?”
In the rest of the essay, Saul delves into the various grifts that by one estimate have tripled Trump’s net worth since he’s been in office. The largest is the family crypto company called World Liberty Financial, which by the end of 2025 had generated a fortune larger than the Trumps’ entire real estate portfolio. “At the same time the president was pushing his family’s new crypto venture, he was cutting crypto regulation, touting the potential of private digital currencies to help the U.S. economy, and promising to unleash the industry he and his family were simultaneously profiting from.”
As you may recall, Trump also launched a “memecoin” called $TRUMP. Memecoins have no underlying value (unless you consider hype a value).
Trump created hype for his memecoin by launching it months after being elected and just three days before being inaugurated. He promoted $TRUMP on social media and, while president, even held a dinner for the top 220 holders of the coin at one of his golf resorts in Virginia. He held another one at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend. The initial coin offering released 200 million tokens of its billion-token supply to the public on the first day. The price skyrocketed 300% overnight and hit an all-time high of $74.27 on January 19, right before Trump’s inauguration. $TRUMP has since cratered, losing 97% of its value (for context, if you had bought $1,000 at its peak, your $1,000 would now be worth about $30).
Trump, of course, profited.
The article is lengthy, and not only explains the crypto shenanigans in detail, but the various other grifts that have enriched the Trump family at our expense.
Trump is far and away the most corrupt President in history (he puts Nixon to shame). But we know a lot more about Hunter Biden.
Republican propaganda has been grooming and conditioning the marginally-thinking voters and public in general for decades: Democrats bad. Republicans … who cares?
The media, ever thirsty for bleeding ledes succumbs to that too and Democrats tend not to go into the gutters to sensationalize corruption as Republicans do. Why? Because Republicans have ALWAYS wallowed in the gutter. Who can forget Citizens United v. FEC? Why didn’t the media pounce on that fetid decision by the soon-to-be totally corrupt SCOTUS.
How many of us freaked out about the overturning of the Glass-Steagall Act?
Does the 2007 -08 financial disaster tickle anyone’s fancy? How about the Treasury Secretary Paulson getting a tax-free $400,000 buyout as he rode into the sunset after several private equity and banks died overnight?
The media has failed in the past to do its job in ringing alarm bells. Let’s demand that they don’t miss this current sewer explosion in the Executive and SCOTUS of current times.
The good news is, we know that our legacy media is 100% behind this POTUS, who is 100% owned by Israel. Does anybody still watch CBS News to get Bari Weiss’ Israeli propaganda? I didn’t think so!
With all the testimony of young girls against Trump, he still avoided jail and wasn’t retired like Epstein. Trump had a role to play if he could stay alive. Otherwise, he’d be gone.
How did Baron Trump obtain a $130 M net worth when he has no measurable skills – some would say he is slow. I think all of Don’s kids have that in common – weak sperm.
The only person/country that benefits from our military presence in the Strait and bombing Iran, while Israel bombs AND bulldozes Lebanon. I think it was Chuck Schumer who quickly pushed through a bill to send bulldozers to Israel for use in Lebanon and Palestine. It makes zero sense outside of Bibi Netanyahu. Period.
Meanwhile, Congress makes speeches and threatens Trump, but won’t do anything to stop him. I could make a list of all his crimes, along with his family, but nothing happens, so what’s the point? What is the crime for staging your own assassinations to get sympathy and raise your ratings – the pity vote. 🙄
They are so unpopular that they are even redistricting while voting is underway. They know they can’t lose or trouble come their way. Although, from what I can read, it is not going to happen even if Democrats win a few seats. The oligarchy still owns both sides of the aisle (uniparty).
p.s. It’s so bad that Democratic District Committee members were bragging on social media about increasing the number of Democrats who voted from 2022 to 2026 by one (1). The GOTV campaigns aren’t gaining much traction.
So the leader of the most powerful and successful country in the history of the world can take the formerly thought to be independent DOJ under his wing while getting rid of – firing – all of those Inspector Generals responsible for monitoring and exposing fraud and corruption, leaving the path clear for himself and all of his loyalist-before-all-other sycophants to commit fraud and corruption at a rate unheard of previously, openly, with not a whimper from the GOP in Congress? How did the Framers miss this? I suppose by never ever imagining a degenerate of this magnitude would ever be considered for POTUS, let alone be elected twice. Hmmm, minority rule is at play here IMHO, considering the fully third of the voting electorate never bothered to vote. djt won the second time with a 1-1/2% plurality in an election where only about 2/3 of the electorate took part That’s a lot of missing votes (he lost the plurality in the 1st term election, by nearly 3 million votes, 48%-42%). Ah yes, the Electoral College. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, just signed onto by Virginia, is within sight now, and we can say bye bye to the EC when that happens, after which Presidential elections will be decided by popular vote. Period.
The term “Bothsideism” is a perfect term today; never before have Americans needed to be fully aware of what both Republicans and Democrats are doing or not doing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. The very reason Trump is trying to shut down the media reporting his truths or speaking against him is to provide only his Authoritarian leadership to the public. Reports today of Putin’s sharing U.S. intelligence with Iran may be uncovering what transpired in the secret meetings and phone conversations between Trump and Putin in his first term and continued till their love affair hit a major bump in their road to global rule. Trump’s other first term love affair with Kim Jong Un has obviously also ended and Kim Jong Un has been ominously quiet for too long. Will he provide that Iran “glow” Trump is now predicting?
Trump’s latest commentary about the continued shots fired between U.S. and Iran being part of the continuing Ceasefire shows Trump doesn’t know how to throw a war anymore than he knows how to throw a party. What is happening with the results of that WHCD atrocity with 2,600 people cowering under tables or running for their lives while Trump refused to leave to continue watching what he termed “…a beautiful site to see.”?
“The Tangle essay, written by Isaac Saul, reported on a Trump family activity that has received virtually no publicity other than one story in the New York Times. Evidently, Ivanka and Jared–daughter and son-in-law of our current President– are negotiating the purchase of a luxury hotel with Syrian billionaires–billionaires who are simultaneously lobbying the president to lift economic sanctions on their country.”
The above information was actually reported last night on MS NOW’s “Last Word” by Lawrence O’Donnell as part of a lengthy report on the NYT’s award winning article on all of the Trumps and what their presidency is doing to bankrupt the U.S. while we are distracted by Epstein Files, the Iran war, Patel’s alcoholic problems and Trump’s war with Pope Leo and too many other issues to list here. If their actions and that of the MAGAs isn’t stopped, Trump will be able to buy back the United States at bargain prices.
Ooops, another poor editing day on my post. Of course that should read “…a beautiful SIGHT to see.”
What gets “traction” or attention depends on where the information is disseminated. That also depends on how the audience/voters want to learn or not. So the receptivity of voters is the key – what is relevant to them and how are they willing to receive information outside of their own life’s sphere? Further, it takes effort to learn new information. You work your job, you take care of your family, you grocery shop, you plan meals, you take care of the many micro irritations around your finances. What’s left? So instead, you say – well I have always been a Republican or I have always been a Democrat and that’s what you do or you say – I am a cog. Do with me as you will as long as I have food, a roof, and some entertainment – leave me alone….if I vote, I might pay attention to those ads. So unless this information about corruption is right in front of “you” – “you” are not going to know about it – look where this information can be found…is it on the local TV news? is it on any media outlet tuned in by most folks? is it on a streaming program? (oh sure Meidas Touch…but even though I watch it – it is too vitriolic sometimes – just give us the facts and stop saying the Trump regime…just report with less anger) So – the peasants in the French Revolution and other “peasant” revolts did so when their lives were miserable and they cared. Is that what it will take or are the people who are miserably poor, hungry, unhoused feeling the futility of voting or picking up a metaphoric pitchfork? I wonder what those MAGA who voted for the Trump state legislators want in the way of improving Indiana – or is it just about pleasing a despot to say they are loyal Republicans, as they always have been without thinking of what Republicans are doing.
I have been reading a book titled The Conspiracy by John Hersey. It tells the story of the corrupt governance that made up Nero’s Rome before the fall of that empire. If one substitutes the names of Nero and his co-commander of the Praetorain Guard and his Tribune of the Secret Police with the names Trump, Hegseth, and Patel one gets a perfect picture of the goings on inside of our current federal government. It’s all there. The scheming, the lying, the debauchery, the violence. It’s the mad emperor and his court of sophomoric leaches. It’s a once great country being destroyed from within for the entertainment and the enrichment of its leaders.
History does repeat itself, you know.
Grifting is what he does best, has had many, many years, decades, in which to hone that godawful skill.
And all the congresspeople who continue to passively, abjectly, allow him to continue on his merry way are complicit.
Will we ever be able to return to a good standing in the eyes of the world after he is done with his thrashing of our place therein?
Todd – The Israelis do not own 100% of Trump – They have to share him with the Saudis and Putin – A few other billionaires also own pieces – He is not a “kept woman” by Bibi – He is out on the street shouting “Hey, Buddy. Want to buy some of this?”
The most corrupt President ever.
will it be trickle-down wealth to the members of congress? whos backin who. theres a goal, trumps,wealth,and the billionaires take over of our government.
how and where is the goal of project 2025? trumps demin seeds are front runners, but the 2025 minds are dealing in our democracy and making sure we dont vote again. and wheres the list of who funneling the bucks to support this? epstien be damn,im more ineterested in who is supporting our demise.
seem interior secty burgum,(former nodak gov) is talking to harold hamm (resident NoDak) owner of continental resources to cut the rug on national park protections on oil and gas leases. im sure the legal stuff hes (hamm) handed burgum will more,than likely run into ways to sell-off the natl park land to, well real estate people from NYC. the next idea will be for the billionaire land owners to shoot and kill anyone on it..asswipe trump will be at the Theodore Roosevelt library opening 7/4/26 in Medora NoDak. imagine,hes there for a library.. hopefully the buffalo will stampide.
Number one in the revolutionary hand book is TAKE OVER THE MEDIA! This has been discussed in political science classes for decades. Why is it so hard to get through to the Magats? They are hardwired to tune to FAUX NEWS for information. I’m certain they have never seen the studies that show FAUX NEWS viewers are less well informed than people who don’t watch any news at all. FAUX is available at no additional charge on every system available in the US, but you pay extra for MSNOW, and you pay for other sources, like Substack, Politico, Mother Jones, or the New York Times.
Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch are to blame for our current circumstances. Ailes read the hand book and he went it one better. He took over the media BEFORE the revolution. He used Murdoch’s money and facilities. It was a match made in (anyplace but) Heaven.
Why is it that Republicans can get away with anything, while Democrats aren’t allowed to even appear likely to go astray? Just watch a little FAUX. If it’s bad for the administration, they might report the part of the story that doesn’t implicate Orange Jesus. Just reporting the facts without context doesn’t bode well for our country.
Those of you who wonder why the Democrats aren’t doing anything, but talking I ask what would you have them do? They have no subpoena power. Without a number of Republicans aligning with them they can’t call a vote on any bill. I have heard calls for a general strike. Great for those who can afford to skip work.
To answer a couple of your questions from that last paragraph, Peggy:
1) The Democratic Party, from top to bottom, must swear off working with and taking more money from Israel. That should be a loud and noisy exit, and force Republicans to do the same. That is a strong play for the urban democrats, but we need to reach rural and small-town Americans. MAGA is splintered in half among influencers right now, mainly over Israel, and the MAGA folks are beating up on the Israeli-paid influencers from Israel. MIGA is losing.
2. The dues-paying democrats paid for a very expensive report on what went wrong in 2024, but Winter refused to hand it out. That report should be plastered on their website, especially if it recommended a path forward.
3. They could beat the street, but not just in town, where it’s easy. We need a ground-up revolution that must represent all Americans. We must start holding local, state, and national governments accountable.
The people are oppressed and looking for leaders. The democrats are running out of time, and so is the Republican Party. The Uniparty is doing its best to prevent a united people from reaching the oligarchy. The politicians and broadcast news work for the oligarchs.
Buying and selling favors for personal enrichment using US government resources is beyond the pale. They buy with the power of US armed forces and collect in huge personal monetary gain, and without even being able to have a normal security clearance. It’s so absurd they’re not making or earning wealth they’re stealing it from the American people. It’s been reported that AES invest mega money into Kushner’s schemes, and when AES incurred damages from the current war games that OJ is playing they demanded payment for those damages. trump was reported as saying he would look to the US treasury to pay them. So, when trump’s business partners are harmed financially the US treasury will cover it? How about suing DOJ for millions for investigating and prosecuting the crimes that he committed. US taxpayers have to pay him for his crimes, that’s insane!
Correction It’s UAE that wants reimbursement for war damage. AES is local electric company.