Google Gemini was used to research this piece. This Essay was posted on 6/25/2026.
Donald Trump’s corruption is well-documented. He made 22,000 stock trades during his Presidency, with some trades involving companies having issues before Congress. Trump issued no-bid contracts to business associates. Trump accepted a 400 million plane and refurbished it with taxpayer money, but the Qatar jet lacks all the security features available in the older Air Force 1. Accepting the gift violates the Constitution and refurbishing the plane appears to be a wasted taxpayer dollars. I could go on.
All of the money wasted by Trump, including illegal tariffs, expensive golfing weekends, and an illegal war with Iran that has no clean ending is just the frosting on the cake.
Trump’s domestic policies are all colored by partisan politics, and Trump is willing to renege on legal commitments. FEMA, for example, is withholding Homeland Security Grants to states that fail to comply with the voter suppression reforms pushed by Trump and also rejected by Congress. Trump thinks he is above the rules spelled out in the Constitution, but this is just the cherry on the Sundae.
The real problem created by Donald Trump is a side-effect of his disastrous foreign policy. Trump has reneged on US obligations forged in prior administrations to the point where world leaders will not trust the next President nor his successor because a Trump-clone could be elected. Optimistically, it will take decades to regain the trust of world leaders needed to regain our international influence.
A clean break from Donald Trump can be accomplished with an impeachment and conviction, followed by an administration with the courage to follow the rules of government that have worked for the first 248 years. That is why the November election is so important. Electing people who will stand up to Trump is the only criterion that makes sense.
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