This same pattern—Trump lavishing billions on himself and his loyalists while ordinary Americans suffer under his economic decisions—applies to his slush fund. This week’s New York Times poll finds Trump’s approval on the economy at 33 percent to 64 percent—31 points underwater. Democrats lead in the generic House matchup by 11 points. Among independents, it rises to 18 points. Independents famously react badly to corruption. The slush fund will be absolutely toxic among them.
There are other angles to attack here, as well. After the slush fund was announced, senior Treasury Department lawyer Brian Morrissey resigned. Though it’s unclear why, Senator Ron Wyden—the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee— says he will pursue Morrissey’s testimony. “It’s important we hear from Mr. Morrissey and everyone else involved,” Wyden told me in a statement, adding that if Democrats win the Senate, they are “not going to let this go.”
A core myth of Trumpism is the idea of white, male, reactionary victimization: His ascension represents vengeance for his voters, who are the victims of a series of world-historical crimes by non-MAGA Americans and elites alike. As Adam Serwer notes, the slush fund embodies this: It effectively will give “reparations” to reactionaries who attacked our constitutional democracy to prevent all our votes from counting, in a naked effort to destroy multiracial democracy itself.
