How Trump Became Mob Boss of the United States

Key Points:

• On May 22, 2025, President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive black-tie dinner at his private Trump National Golf Club for holders of his $TRUMP cryptocurrency, with over 200 guests, many from outside the U.S., attending after qualifying through their crypto holdings.
• The event highlighted a new form of political influence where access to the president was linked to ownership of a financial asset tied to Trump’s business interests, marking a departure from traditional campaign contributions or political donations.
• Trump's second presidency saw unprecedented intertwining of public power and private financial interests, with significant income reported from cryptocurrency ventures, foreign real estate, licensing deals, and corporate donations, raising concerns about corruption and conflicts of interest.
• The Trump administration leveraged presidential powers for personal and family business benefits, including pardons for political allies, regulatory control favoring connected corporations, and foreign investments linked to policy decisions, while Congress under Republican control largely refrained from investigating these matters.
• This new political system, rooted in transactional and relational corruption learned from Trump’s early experiences in Brooklyn politics, represents a global network of wealth and power centered on the president, collapsing traditional distinctions between businessman and political boss.