How Far Will Trump Go to Make Money in the Final days of His Administration?

[McCamy Taylor]

Ever wonder why Trump keeps blustering in the face of overwhelming evidence of his crimes? Do you think it might be mental illness? Delusions of grandeur and invulnerability and divine right? Maybe you are correct. But it is just as likely that Trump can read the writing on the wall--prosecutors now have solid evidence of a felony. He knows his days as POTUS are numbered. And his family coffers are still not full. So, what is a serial bankrupt-er to do? This is his final shot. His last chance at the Big Leagues, to borrow a baseball metaphor. After this gig, there will never be another chance to prove to his now dead Daddy that he has what it takes to be Rich with a capital R.

Do not look for Donald Trump to go "gentle into that good night." Not unless someone pays him to do so. In cold, hard cash. There are still a lot of ways that a president dancing on the precipice can make money. For instance....

He can dump Pence and offer the role of Vice President who will become President as soon as Trump resigns for sale. That is where the really big money is right now. As long as he can convince potential buyers that the Republicans will not dump him in the next primary. The potential payoff from this deal could measure in the billions. Or he could just talk about dumping Pence and force Pence's sponsors the Koch Brothers to cough up cash. But the Koch Brothers will not pay Trump a cent if they think he will not be the party nominee. So, Trump has to feed the base what they love best---lots of bigotry, lots of tough talk, lots of hot air. He has to encourage his followers with guns to get rowdy. He has to talk about members of the GOP who question him as "traitors." He must make his fellow Republicans afraid.

Trump can also sell positions like head of the FDA and head of the FCC and UN Secretary and Secretary of State and even Attorney General to the highest bidder over and over again. The industries which depend upon the favor of federal agencies will be more than willing to make an investment in the Trump Family Retirement Fund if it means getting their own man or women into office to derail a nasty federal investigation or broker a peace treaty with a human rights violating tyrant.

Trump can declare crazy tariffs that benefit no one--at first glance. But if you look closely, you will see that a single player is making out like a bandit, because Trump has slapped a huge tariff on something stupid like imported animal shaped dildos. He can sell off mineral rights in national parks and timber rights in national forests and off shore drilling rights along the nation's beaches.

And he can make promises. Big promises. Like the promise that some contractor will finally be paid big bucks to build that border wall which also comes with a huge land grab---a full mile of Texas waterfront ranch land will suddenly become federal property which can be offered to the highest bidder which will probably be DOW, one of the few American companies that contributed to the Trump inauguration celebration. Dow is desperate for water. Cheap, easily adulterated water. Imagine polluting plants on both sides of the Rio Grande River. The chances that it will happen are slim to none, but if you are a Dow executive you will not want to be the one who has to explain to stockholders why you did not move heaven and earth to keep Trump in office.

For the Trump Family scams to work, Trump will have to pretend that he is 100% confident that he will be exonerated and re-elected. Do not be fooled. And whatever you do, if he offers to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge or the Statue of Liberty, don't listen!

Unfortunately, the adage "a fool and his money are soon parted" is often true. So, I expect a fair number of people to throw their money down the Trump Family toilet. Do you think that if We the People of the United States got together to create a go-fund-me and came up with a huge wad of cash that we could pay Trump to leave? Naw. he would take the money but then he would refuse to deliver on his promise. That is just the kind of grifter he is.

[gratuitous]

1. Grabbing it with both hands

Unfortunately for Deadbeat Donny, those hands are exceedingly small.

[PJMcK]

2. Some reactions to your well thought out essay

Your first suggestion, that Trump dump Pence and sell the (Vice) Presidency is not that far removed from what Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich tried to do with Barack Obama's Senate seat when Mr. Obama became president. That plan didn't work out too well for ole Rod. More importantly, Trump is unlikely to make it to the next election so any replacement Vice President would require approval by both the Senate and the House. Would that really be possible under your scenario?

Similarly with your next point regarding Cabinet positions. Once again, they require Senate approval. How could that happen if Trump has been declared a criminal? It would be suicide for Republicans to take that route. Since most of them hate Trump almost as much as Democrats, that seems an unlikely course.

While you're correct about a president's control over tariffs, remember that Americans are the ones who pay these additional taxes, not the foreign countries where the goods originate. How would voters feel about that?

As far as the big promises idea, who would trust Trump? Everyone who has influence knows he's a liar. Besides, once he's gone, the deals could be reversed and those paying the bribes would be left empty-handed and perhaps find themselves under indictments.

I agree with you that he won't go quietly, but he made the most stupid determination of his disgusting life when he chose to run for president. All or nearly all of his criminality is coming to light. This will be his-- and his family's-- great downfall.

I maintain my optimism.