Opinion: Donald Trump is normalizing corruption

Authors: Gary Mason

Publisher:

The Globe and Mail

Published: 10/29/2025

Language:English

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Aura Windfall

Good morning 老王, I'm Aura Windfall, and this is Goose Pod, just for you. Today is Sunday, November 02nd, 18:31. I'm Mask, and we are here to dive deep into a very timely and thought-provoking topic: the opinion that Donald Trump is normalizing corruption.

Mask

Indeed, Aura. It's a statement that certainly sparks conversation. We've seen reports, for example, about the alleged demolition of the White House East Wing, making way for a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom. A secret teardown, some called it, a wrecking ball hitting the 'people's house.'

Aura Windfall

That's quite a visual, Mask, and it definitely raises questions about transparency and public trust. Michael Wolff even described it as a 'real estate developer trick'—what you tear down, you cannot build back. A fait accompli, as if to say, 'it's done, move on.'

Mask

Precisely. And the public response was clear: 56% of Americans opposed it, by a two-to-one margin, showing a clear disdain for disregarding public opinion and historical preservation. The cost ballooned from $200 million to $300 million, yet the White House insisted it didn't need approval for 'vertical construction.' It’s a bold move, asserting power and control, almost as if settling a score with history itself.

Aura Windfall

It certainly feels like a powerful statement, doesn't it? What I know for sure is, such actions can deeply impact how people perceive the sanctity of our institutions and the leaders who occupy them. It makes one wonder about the deeper currents at play when such a significant change happens with so little public consultation.

Mask

Aura, this brings us to the very bedrock of American governance: the Emoluments Clauses. These are essentially our nation's original anti-corruption laws, designed to prevent presidents from profiting from foreign or domestic governments. They're meant to keep leaders independent, free from financial entanglements.

Aura Windfall

Ah, the Emoluments Clauses, a cornerstone of ethical leadership. It's about protecting the spirit of public service, ensuring decisions are made for the good of the people, not for personal gain. So, when a president retains ownership of a vast business empire, as Trump did, against the advice of ethics officials, it immediately invites scrutiny, doesn't it?

Mask

Absolutely. It's a direct challenge to that principle. We've seen instances like the Qatari luxury jet, crypto ventures, or even foreign governments patronizing his properties, such as the Saudi government spending hundreds of thousands at his D.C. hotel, or the Romanian president at the Trump Hotel. These aren't just minor oversights; they're situations where personal business interests and national policy could potentially intertwine. It’s a very public display of pushing boundaries.

Aura Windfall

And that's where the integrity of the office truly comes into question. Historically, presidents have expanded their powers, often incrementally, during times of crisis. Think Lincoln during the Civil War, or FDR in World War II. But what we're discussing now, it feels different, more 'non-incremental' as some have described it. It's about a deliberate, open challenge to established norms, which then, by its very visibility, begins to normalize what was once considered unacceptable.

Mask

Indeed. This isn't just about bending rules; it’s about a fundamental shift in what's considered permissible. When the public sees these actions happening openly, consistently, and without significant pushback, a dangerous precedent is set. It’s a calculated move to desensitize the public, to make them believe that such sleaze and dishonesty are simply 'the new normal.' It's a very effective, albeit provocative, strategy for transforming the political landscape.

Aura Windfall

It's a strategy that leads us directly into the heart of conflict, Mask. The 'Why Nations Fail' framework warns about the potential for a slide into 'extractive rule,' where power and wealth concentrate in the hands of a narrow elite. When we hear about favoritism towards certain tycoons or industries, and even potential self-dealing within the administration, it sounds alarm bells for democratic health.

Mask

It does, Aura, and it's not just about financial gain. We’ve seen the politicization of the civil service, with the reinstatement of 'Schedule F' allowing for the replacement of merit-based bureaucracy with political loyalists. It's a 'deep state purge' that screams of a spoils system. And the accusations of using state power to punish opponents, with sham investigations into figures like former President Obama or John Bolton, that's not just controversial; it’s a direct assault on the impartiality of our institutions.

Aura Windfall

Those are serious allegations, Mask. The idea of weaponizing government agencies to settle personal scores—it's a chilling thought. It makes me wonder about the psychological drivers behind such actions, especially when revenge is described as a primary motivator. And what about the media's role in all of this? We've seen a clear polarization, with mainstream outlets being sidelined and alternative narratives amplified. How does that impact our collective understanding of truth?

Mask

It fragments it completely, Aura. The strategy is to 'flood the zone' with your own narrative, to make it impossible for a single truth to emerge. And when you combine that with rhetoric that some critics blame for inciting violence, like the speech before January 6th, and the amplification of that rhetoric across platforms, you're not just polarizing; you're actively shifting the 'Overton Window.' You're making extreme views acceptable, emboldening individuals to act on pre-existing prejudices. It’s a highly effective, if deeply unsettling, method of control.

Aura Windfall

This leads us to the profound impact, Mask. Experts argue these actions have caused long-lasting damage to democratic institutions—the Department of Justice, the federal courts, the civil service itself. It's not just about one presidency; it's about the erosion of trust and legitimacy that can take generations to rebuild.

Mask

The numbers speak volumes, Aura. The Economist's Democracy Index now ranks the U.S. as a 'flawed democracy,' not a 'full democracy.' We're talking about election manipulation through reduced voter access and politicized administration, executive overreach with 'Schedule F' threatening civil service independence, and a Supreme Court whose impartiality is increasingly questioned. These aren’t abstract concerns; they're concrete shifts in how our government functions. The pardoning of January 6th insurrectionists, the attempts to prosecute previous administrations—these are direct challenges to the rule of law.

Aura Windfall

And the corruption risks are equally alarming. The blurring of private business with presidential roles, the mass firing of inspectors general who act as watchdogs, even the closing of anti-corruption programs—these actions create an environment ripe for exploitation. It's as if the guardrails are being systematically dismantled, isn't it? It leaves one feeling a deep sense of vulnerability for the integrity of the system.

Mask

Indeed, Aura. Looking ahead, if these campaign promises are realized, we could see an even greater expansion of executive power, threatening fundamental democratic institutions like a free press and a vigorous civil society. Social scientists predict everything from 'not much will change' to 'Armageddon.'

Aura Windfall

It's a stark choice, isn't it? What I know for sure is that the future of American democracy hinges on active commitment from all of us. Vigilant upkeep and robust safeguards for government integrity are not just ideals; they are essential for protecting the very spirit of our nation.

Mask

That's the end of today's discussion on Goose Pod. Thank you, 老王, for listening to this personalized podcast experience. We appreciate your time and attention. See you tomorrow.

This podcast episode explores how Donald Trump's actions, from alleged White House renovations to business entanglements and politicizing institutions, are seen as normalizing corruption. Speakers discuss the erosion of democratic norms, challenges to the Emoluments Clauses, and the potential for "extractive rule," impacting the U.S.'s status as a flawed democracy.

Read original at The Globe and Mail →

Open this photo in gallery:U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday.Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump destroyed an entire wing of the White House last week.He did this without consulting Congress and after assuring the American public that the East Wing would not be touched during the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

Can you imagine any president in the past 100 years carrying out such a brazen operation, sundering U.S. history while craven Republicans and the spineless minions the President has surrounded himself with smile and say nothing?It is all part of Mr. Trump’s plan to turn the White House into his own vulgar, gaudy version of Versailles, a cheap, gilded aesthetic he’s imported from his tacky Palm Beach, Fla.

, palace, Mar-a-Lago.The story of the East Wing’s demolition is the story of the Trump administration writ large, a metaphor for what he’s doing to American democracy. The current President doesn’t seek permission – for anything. He fears no one and nothing. He is protected by the most lethal army in the world and a Supreme Court that has made it almost impossible to hold him liable for actions even remotely connected to his duties.

This has allowed Mr. Trump to become the most openly corrupt president in American history.It was recently revealed that the President claims that the U.S. Justice Department owes him US$230-million in damages and compensation for its criminal investigation of him in a couple of matters: the Robert Mueller probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.

S. presidential election, and another into classified documents that Mr. Trump took with him when he left office. Neither investigation led to criminal charges, but both were more than legitimate.Opinion: What really enrages Donald Trump in that Ronald Reagan ad he doesn’t want anyone to seeBut now the President wants money from a Justice Department he has stacked with cronies and yes-people, including his Attorney-General Pam Bondi.

They would have to approve the payout for his final signature and endorsement. “I’m the one that makes the decision … it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself,” Mr. Trump told reporters. It doesn’t matter that the Constitution bars a President from any compensation from the U.

S. beyond his salary and expenses. Mr. Trump has already ignored the Constitution. It’s unimaginable he’d pass up the opportunity to put millions of government dollars in his pocket.This is, in some ways, the brilliance of the President’s venality: he does it out in the open. This way, he convinces the public that it must be okay, otherwise someone would be sounding the alarm beyond the mainstream media and Democrats (the party seems to have lost all credibility with the American public).

Mr. Trump has normalized his sleaze and dishonesty.There was the US$400-million luxury jet he accepted from Qatar (where the Trump organization has several real-estate projects planned) and crypto ventures that have put hundreds of millions into his family’s personal accounts. Not long after a right-wing activist donated US$1-million to MAGA Inc.

, Mr. Trump’s super PAC, the President granted a full pardon to her son who pleaded guilty to serious tax crimes last year. He’s turned America’s tech titans into obsequious oligarchs, willing to bend the knee and open their wallets on command. Jeff Bezos’s Amazon agreed to pay US$40-million for the rights to a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump – tens of millions more than these types of undertakings typically cost.

Analysis: Trump’s second-term seizure of powers meets with little pushback from CongressHe’s turned the U.S. into something akin to a police state, with people getting whisked off the street by masked men - kidnappings sanctioned by the government. He’s weaponized the Justice Department, ordering Ms.

Bondi to go after his perceived enemies on bogus charges, which she has. A new report released by Steady State, a network of 340 former national security officers, concluded that autocracy will soon be entrenched in the U.S.These folks have seen it unfold elsewhere and know all the markings. They deemed what Mr.

Trump is creating is a form of “competitive authoritarianism,” in which elections and the courts continue to function but are “systematically manipulated” to consolidate executive power in an increasingly diseased democracy.Americans seem to have become inured to it all or, worse, approve of many of Mr.

Trump’s actions. Many applaud his decision to send troops into many U.S. cities to “clean up crime” while seemingly being oblivious to the fact it’s a ploy, a calculated move to associate “left-wing radicals” – Democrats – with all the places he’s sending soldiers into. And why would he do that? In a bid to influence crucial midterm elections next month that could greatly affect his presidency.

Mr. Trump continues to debase the White House like no one before him. The depravity, the immorality, the decline of a once-great nation. It’s difficult to watch.

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