“Utterly stupid, morally wrong.” That’s what retiring Republican senator Mitch McConnell called President Trump’s proposed “Anti-Weaponization fund,” otherwise known as the $1.776 billion “thug fund.” What a terrible way to celebrate our country’s founding and 250th anniversary, but leave it to President Trump.
I wish I could explain exactly how the fund will go about “compensating victims of weaponization and lawfare,” but except for the fact that it will use taxpayer money, nobody really knows. This humble spirit strongly suggests, however, that rather than concern ourselves with the prospect of compensation for January 6 insurrectionists, we seriously consider the possibility that Trump will use the fund to incentivize and compensate a new private militia, a paramilitary force of MAGA loyalists to use in 2026 and beyond. If we’re not careful, the next mob that invades the U.S. Capitol won’t be a motley hodgepodge of vigilante groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers but a well-organized armed force. As much as I dread the prospect of “pillow guy” Mike Lindell getting $400 million in restitution (as he has suggested), I worry far more about the future of American democracy and the prospect of the country degenerating into a police state.
Adding insult to potential injury, the proposed fund also stipulates that the government is “forever barred and precluded from prosecuting or pursuing” President Trump, his eldest sons, or any of their businesses. This includes matters “whether presently known or unknown” and cases that “have been or could have been asserted” by the government. In other words, Trump and his family will be totally above the law and have a complete license to steal, something they clearly do a lot of. It has thus been called “one of the single most corrupt acts in American history.” As one tax law expert said, “It’s just completely contrary to the notion that you’re supposed to comply with the law. . . the idea that anyone can get a free pass from the I.R.S. is completely ridiculous.” Let’s hope the Republican-led Congress agrees and nips this greedy insult in its corrupt bud.
“Utterly Stupid, Morally Wrong”—Sounds Like a Good Description of Donald Trump and His Administration!
And guess what else we learned this week—Trump or his financial advisers made more than 3,600 stock trades in the first quarter of 2026, many directly prior to government action impacting the traded companies. This revelation prompts me to revisit the president’s comment about the war in Iran: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing—we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.” As callous as that sounded (to the delight of Democratic politicians nationwide), many of us thought that for once he had told the truth. But alas, we were wrong—all Trump thinks about is monetizing the presidency for himself, his family, and his allies. Is there any question that, for him, the welfare of the American people is just a burdensome annoyance?
In the meantime, the ever-hapless Democratic National Committee released a long-awaited “autopsy” of the party’s failed 2024 presidential campaign. Like just about everything else the party has done in recent years, the document is a useless mess. Its focus is on finance and logistics rather than voters’ perceptions and concerns. Despite being 192 pages long, it fails to mention campaign-defining issues such as inflation, the boarder crisis, or President Biden’s refusal to leave the race, among other trifles. Neither Committee Chairman Ken Martin nor the report’s author, a so-called Democratic strategist with a questionable track record, should ever be allowed to work in Washington again. I’m not talking about sending them to places like Cleveland or Peoria, mind you; no, those two incompetent jokers should be cast adrift on an ice-flow (where they are likely to encounter hungry polar bears).