Donald Trump has always been a grifter. Long before the presidency, working for Trump meant risking a paycheck. His reputation was poor at best, criminal at worst. He dodged bills, failed to pay contractors, and hurt small business owners who worked with him.
That behavior and lack of moral compass followed him into the White House. And with the powers of the presidency behind him, it’s only gotten worse.
When Trump took office, his petty grifting enriched him and his family while demeaning the office of the presidency. But that was just the beginning. Now, a year later, he has moved beyond mere schemes that ripped off his ardent supporters to looting the federal government of its honest services, its dignity and, of course, its money.
It is easy to fault Trump’s cabinet — including the always eager to please Todd Blanche — for enabling Trump’s worst impulses. There is no question that they, like the rest of the Republican Party, bear responsibility for abdicating their oath of office.
But cabinet members are not the only ones who failed our democracy. It extends well beyond a handful of government officials and Trump loyalists.
It is a failure of our institutions and leaders to protect the country from Trump’s larceny. It is a failure of all of our leaders and institutions to step forward and speak out.
When Big Law firms chose to settle with Trump instead of fighting back, they allowed the president to loot pro bono services. What was once a service reserved for those who could not afford legal representation or charitable organizations was now being used and abused by a billionaire president.
Trump has plenty of lawyers. Yes, many of them have gone to jail or have been disbarred. But he’s swimming in criminal-minded, spineless attorneys who are willing to throw out their oath to serve at the pleasure of a corrupt president.
Trump did not need the pro bono services of the largest law firms in the country to advance his agenda. But he will take those resources — resources that are not meant for him. And capitulating Big Law partners are more than happy to lend him a hand.
As a result, vulnerable people in need of legal services will suffer. Non-profits will flounder. Pro-democracy issues that once had an army of Big Law attorneys will be left on the shoulders of smaller firms like my own.
.png?upscale=true&height=50&upscale=true&name=Bluesky_Logo-grey%20(2).png){kind=logo}
