Category: Corruption

Donors won $50B in contracts after giving to Trump ballroom project, report says – The Washington Post

More than half of the identified donors to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project secured new or expanded federal contracts totaling over $50 billion within six months, according to a government watchdog report released Thursday. The pattern demonstrates Trump’s systematic use of federal procurement to reward financial backers, directly linking private donations to government spending decisions that benefit the donors themselves.

Trump’s ballroom project, housed in the White House East Wing, has become a vehicle for channeling taxpayer money to his political allies. The $50 billion in contracts awarded to ballroom donors represents a direct return on investment for those who funded the construction, establishing a quid pro quo arrangement between private contributions and federal contracts that contradicts basic principles of competitive procurement.

The watchdog group’s findings document how Trump weaponizes federal contracting authority to consolidate loyalty and enrich his network. This contracting pattern follows Trump’s demand that Senate Majority Leader John Thune fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she blocked $1 billion in taxpayer funding for the ballroom project from a budget reconciliation bill, indicating Trump’s willingness to attack institutional independence when it impedes his financial interests.

Trump has repeatedly misrepresented the ballroom project’s cost and scope. While Trump claimed the $400 million project would be completed ahead of schedule and under budget, Senate Republicans simultaneously requested $1 billion in additional taxpayer security funding tied to the construction, exposing the gap between Trump’s public statements and the actual financial burden on taxpayers.

The $50 billion in contracts awarded to ballroom donors exemplifies how Trump transforms the executive branch into a personal enrichment apparatus. By funneling federal money to those who fund his projects, Trump corrupts the procurement process, ensures absolute loyalty through financial dependency, and establishes the institutional mechanisms necessary for perpetuating his control beyond a single term.(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/04/donors-won-50b-contracts-after-giving-trump-ballroom-project-report-says/)

Trump announces new coal export terminal in Oakland – Los Angeles Times

President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on June 4, 2026, to direct nearly $700 million in federal funding toward coal infrastructure, including $75 million for a new coal export terminal at Oakland’s decommissioned Army Base. The funding will upgrade 13 existing coal plants nationwide, construct two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia, and restart a shuttered Maryland facility, with coal exports from the Oakland terminal expected to begin in summer 2028 at volumes exceeding 12 million tons annually.

Trump justified the investment as essential to national security and lowering energy costs, citing rising electricity expenses tied to artificial intelligence data center demand. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed the terminal would strengthen U.S. energy security and supply chains, exporting coal to allied nations including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. However, residential electricity bills have increased nearly 11 percent since Trump returned to office in January 2025, contradicting claims that coal investment reduces costs.

Environmental and energy experts documented that the policy will increase, not decrease, utility bills and air pollution. The nonpartisan Energy Innovation report found 99 percent of U.S. coal plants are now more expensive to operate than replacement with local solar, wind, or energy storage. Margaret Gordon of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project criticized the project as unconscionable given that state and local regulators have spent millions reducing emissions in an area already experiencing disproportionate pollution from port and industrial operations.

Coal combustion generates approximately 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion and is a major driver of air pollution, releasing fine particles harmful to respiratory and cardiovascular health. Trump’s EPA weakened mercury and toxic air emission limits from coal plants in February 2026. Local opposition groups, including San Francisco Baykeeper and Sierra Club San Francisco Bay, announced plans to challenge the project in court, disputing whether coal export infrastructure qualifies as critical national defense infrastructure under the Defense Production Act and whether the federal spending represents proper use of taxpayer funds.

The Oakland terminal revives a decade-long battle over West Coast coal exports. Trump has simultaneously threatened to illegally cut billions in federal funding to California and other Democratic states, creating a pattern of weaponizing federal resources to punish jurisdictions that oppose his priorities. The project demonstrates Trump’s use of emergency powers and public funds to sustain failing fossil fuel industries while blocking renewable en(Source: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-06-04/trump-invokes-emergency-powers-to-invest-700-million-in-coal-including-new-export-terminal-in-california)ergy investment.

‘Some homework to do’: Trump appointees vote to address gaps in arch plan in heated meeting – ABC News

Trump’s National Capital Planning Commission, stacked with his appointees, voted Thursday to conditionally advance a 250-foot “triumphal arch” project near Arlington National Cemetery, but only after staff identified significant gaps requiring the administration to provide additional details before final approval. Commission Chair Will Scharf, Trump’s White House staff secretary, acknowledged the project team has “homework to do,” requesting more renderings and technical information on lighting, stormwater management, materials, and height justification under the Height of Buildings Act. Despite Trump immediately claiming approval on social media, Scharf clarified the vote was not final and will return for further review.

The commission received 1,696 public comments before the hearing, nearly all opposing the project as a vanity structure inconsistent with American values. Veterans including Gary Langston and Marine Jimi Shaughnessy testified that the arch would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery and cast literal and figurative shadows over sacred ground where their families rest. Langston warned the design contains “elements that I fear won’t stand the test of time,” while Shaughnessy called the 250-foot structure “a profound disruption and insult at the entrance to sacred ground” and “a momentous symbol of selfishness.”

Commission staff, though outnumbered by Trump loyalists, raised critical unresolved issues including pedestrian safety, potential interference with Reagan National Airport flight paths, and obstruction of cemetery views. Jamie Herr, the commission’s urban planner, stated the submission lacks essential information and noted the administration must provide “necessary elements for the commission to review as the design advances.” Jessica Bowron, representing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, supported the staff recommendations and pledged to provide the requested additional information.

The vote to accept staff concerns passed 9-1, with only Evan Cash, representing D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, voting no on grounds that the administration cannot answer the “fundamental question about why this project belongs in this place.” Cash’s dissent highlighted the threshold issue: whether Trump’s triumphal arch near Arlington serves any purpose beyond personal aggrandizement, part of a broader pattern of Trump spending millions to gild and renovate Washington monuments while bypassing normal oversight processes.(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/homework-trump-appointees-vote-address-gaps-arch-plan/story?id=133600719)

HHS Employees Now Being Measured By Loyalty To Trump’s Policies | HuffPost Latest News

The Trump administration has implemented a new performance metric at the Department of Health and Human Services requiring tens of thousands of employees to demonstrate they "clearly and demonstrably support implementation" of Trump's policy agenda as a "critical element" of their annual reviews. The requirement, titled "Faithful Support of Administration of the Law and the President's Policies," mandates that Senior Professionals prove loyalty to Trump's specific policy priorities through measurable results aligned with his agenda, fundamentally inverting the merit-based civil service system designed to serve the public rather than any individual.

Federal employees are statutorily required to serve the government and public interest, not pledge allegiance to any president's policies. HHS workers report the requirement creates fear and coercion, with one employee stating employees must "go along to get along" or face termination, effectively forcing compliance under threat of job loss. The Office of Personnel Management directed all federal agencies to adopt similar language following Trump's January executive order "Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives," making this loyalty assessment government-wide policy.

The mandate threatens the independence of HHS's Office of the Inspector General, which operates independently to identify waste, fraud, and abuse across the department. Employees in this office now face a direct conflict between the loyalty requirement and their legal mandate to expose wrongdoing, regardless of whether it implicates Trump administration policies. Trump terminated all 18 inspectors general across federal agencies within weeks of taking office, and this new performance standard consolidates his control by subordinating their investigative function to political loyalty.

Stanford presidential scholar Terry Moe identified the requirement as part of Trump's systematic assault on the administrative state, stating the administration aims to replace merit-based civil servants with loyalists throughout the executive branch. Moe emphasized this policy "flies in the face of the entire foundation of civil service, which is merit." The requirement transforms federal workers into political operatives bound to advance Trump's agenda rather than neutral administrators applying law and expertise to serve citizens.

HHS employees remain under additional pressure from ongoing government shutdown furloughs and widespread job uncertainty as Trump carries out sweeping workforce cuts. One employee expressed the cascading effect: the loyalty requirement compounds existing morale collapse, with staff unable to predict or prepare for daily directives while fearing retaliation for dissent. The policy structurally eliminates the ability of federal workers to voice concerns or apply professional judgment independent of Trump's political priorities.

(Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hhs-employees-trump-loyalty-performance-reviews_n_68ffa3b7e4b0ebfddfbaf88c)

Trump Attacks CNN’s Collins as Hateful During Oval Office Press

During an Oval Office question-and-answer session on Wednesday, President Trump attacked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins while discussing his abandoned "Anti-Weaponization fund," a Department of Justice initiative he had claimed would address alleged persecution of his supporters. Trump stated that people aligned with him were "weaponized by the Biden administration" and destroyed through prosecutions, then pivoted to attack Collins directly, describing her as someone with "hatred in her eyes" who "never smiles" and opposing his administration's policies on borders, military strength, and tax cuts.

Trump's assault on Collins exemplifies his pattern of weaponizing the presidency against critical press coverage. His rhetoric conflates legitimate law enforcement actions, including the execution of a lawful search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago residence, with fabricated claims of persecution. He accused CNN of being "crooked as hell" and "a very corrupt organization," extending his long-standing campaign to delegitimize independent journalism and undermine public trust in factual reporting.

The attack on Collins as an individual, focusing on her appearance and emotional expression rather than her reporting, demonstrates Trump's reliance on personal intimidation to silence critical inquiry. CNN responded by defending Collins as "an exceptional journalist" whose reporting from the White House and field maintains credibility with global audiences. This incident reflects Trump's broader assault on the free press as a counter-majoritarian check on executive power.

Trump's invocation of his electoral performance, claiming he "won 87% of the counties" and won by a "massive landslide," continued his pattern of inflating his political mandate to justify authoritarian governance. He framed border enforcement, military expansion, and tax cuts for his interests as popular mandates while dismissing press scrutiny as motivated by hatred rather than professional responsibility, attempting to redefine journalism itself as an enemy of the state.

The incident underscores how Trump exploits the presidency to punish media outlets and individual journalists for coverage he views as unfavorable. By using the Oval Office as a platform for personal attacks against a reporter doing her job, Trump normalizes the conflation of political opposition with disloyalty and redefines the scope of acceptable presidential conduct in ways consistent with authoritarian governance models.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/hatred-in-her-eyes-trump-suddenly-starts-berating-cnns-kaitlan-collins-during-fiery-oval-office-qa/)

Trump Posts Request for Pardon for Controversial Lawmaker

President Trump posted a pardon request for former Indiana Congressman Stephen Buyer, who was sentenced to 22 months in prison in 2023 for insider trading schemes in 2018 and 2019. According to the Department of Justice, Buyer "engaged in two separate, but interrelated insider trading schemes to steal material non-public information that he obtained through consulting work and to place timely, profitable securities trades based on that stolen information." Trump distributed letters on Truth Social from former Republican National Committee Chairman Robert James Nicholson and multiple Republican lawmakers, both making appeals for Buyer's pardon without offering his own comment.

The Nicholson letter characterizes Buyer's prosecution as political retaliation, claiming "the SEC and DOJ were weaponized against Congressman Buyer as political retribution." This framing mirrors language used by Trump allies to describe prosecutions of Trump himself, despite documented criminal conduct in both cases. The letter references Buyer's past Republican loyalty, including his role prosecuting President Clinton during impeachment proceedings and seeking indictment against Hillary Clinton.

A second letter signed by Republican politicians echoed the weaponization narrative, stating "The Clintons, the Bidens, their surrogates and Democrats in the deep state never forgot Steve's contributions that were an affront to their beliefs and objectives." Trump posted both letters without commentary, effectively amplifying claims that federal prosecutors acted from partisan motives rather than in response to evidence of criminal conduct.

Trump's promotion of Buyer's pardon request occurs as he uses control of the Justice Department to advance personal and corporate interests, including overseeing antitrust reviews affecting major media companies. Trump himself faces scrutiny for stock trades made while serving as commander in chief, creating direct parallel circumstances to Buyer's insider trading convictions.

The pardon push demonstrates Trump's pattern of using executive clemency to reward political allies while weaponizing the Justice Department against perceived enemies. By distributing unsigned pardon appeals without commentary, Trump signals approval while maintaining plausible deniability, a characteristic strategy employed throughout his administration to bypass accountability mechanisms and consolidate loyalty among Republican officeholders.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-posts-appeal-for-a-pardon-by-ex-congressman-slapped-with-insider-trading-charges/)

White House App Exposes Users to Data Theft Via Undisclosed Third Parties

The Trump White House's official app collects and shares user data with third-party vendors without proper disclosure, according to cybersecurity researchers who analyzed its code. The app's privacy manifest on Apple's App Store is blank despite the fact that it transmits IP addresses, time zones, device identifiers, and mobile carrier information to companies including OneSignal and Elfsight, a Russia-founded software vendor. Philip Fields, a cybersecurity researcher and former FBI intelligence analyst, stated that "having an amateur WordPress developer running the White House's public presence puts everybody who visits it at risk," especially while the U.S. is engaged in military conflict.

The app fails to meet federal security standards and bypasses established oversight mechanisms. Federal apps and websites are required to use certified cloud services such as FedRamp or GovCloud, which have been vetted and certified by Congress for security compliance. Instead, the White House contracted with 45Press, an Ohio-based WordPress development company with no disclosed mobile app experience, which was awarded over $1.4 million in February. The app lacks basic security protections including code obfuscation and certificate pinning, making its code and network traffic vulnerable to reverse engineering.

Data sharing with third parties violates the app's stated privacy disclosures to users. Apple's app store requires developers to declare all data collection in privacy manifests; the White House app's manifest is completely blank, falsely indicating no data collection occurs. Cybersecurity researcher Thereallo noted that "users downloading an official government app would reasonably expect their data to stay within the US government systems, not flow to commercial third-party platforms." OneSignal's chief marketing officer acknowledged the company collects functional data but stated it is Apple's responsibility to ensure developers disclose this collection accurately.

The White House defended the app's security practices, claiming third-party vendors underwent full IT review and that data sharing is "standard" for applications. However, Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the administration's cybersecurity failures, stating "in true Trump White House fashion, their lackluster app appears to pose a cybersecurity threat to its users," particularly as the administration simultaneously cuts funding from cybersecurity agencies. The app ranks as the third-most downloaded news app on Apple's App Store after its launch last week, with Trump promoting it as providing "front-row access" to his administration.

The White House has deployed four updates to the app within one week of its release, with developers attributing two updates to "minor bug fixes." Initial versions included inactive location-tracking permissions that were subsequently removed. Cybersecurity expert Adam Enger warned that state-sponsored attackers possess far more sophisticated analysis capabilities than independent researchers and are actively monitoring the app for vulnerabilities, stating "if I could find this by myself in an hour on Friday night, then how far along are our adversaries with this?"

(Source: https://www.notus.org/technology/trump-white-house-app-cybersecurity)

Trump Spends $5M Gilding Statues While Bypassing Competitive Bidding

The Trump administration awarded a $5 million no-bid contract in April 2026 to cover four bronze horse statues near the Lincoln Memorial with 23.75-karat gold leaf, according to reporting by NOTUS on May 29. The National Park Service, overseen by the Department of the Interior, bypassed competitive bidding to meet a July 4 deadline ahead of the nation's 250th birthday celebration. The statues, known as the Arts of War and Arts of Peace, are located on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

This project exemplifies Trump's pattern of using federal funds for vanity projects that reimagine Washington, D.C. landmarks in his image. Trump has described the capital as "disgusting" and "ugly," yet his administration has spent millions on restoration work, including a $1.5 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation and announced plans to repaint the World War II Memorial's central fountain. During a May 27 Cabinet meeting, Trump stated he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have had "a lot of fun" remaking historic sites.

The no-bid contract diverts National Parks funds to gold-plating statues rather than infrastructure maintenance or preservation. The Interior Department justified the expedited process by citing the compressed July 4 timeline, claiming the project demonstrates Trump's commitment to making "D.C. Safe and Beautiful." Trump's broader renovation agenda ahead of the semiquincentennial includes a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery modeled on Paris' Arc de Triomphe, modifications to the White House East Wing, and paving over sections of the Rose Garden.

These projects consume taxpayer resources while serving Trump's personal brand-building agenda. A federal judge recently ordered Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center after the board voted in December to add it alongside John F. Kennedy's, demonstrating the administration's pattern of appropriating national institutions for self-promotion. Concurrent construction on a UFC arena on the White House South Lawn for Trump's 80th birthday on June 14 further illustrates how federal property is being converted to serve Trump's personal interests.

(Source: https://people.com/trump-administration-pays-millions-to-cover-bronze-horses-in-extra-thick-23-75-karat-gold-11987153?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=6a1dff0999519100013f6cbd&fbclid=IwdGRjcASLuvhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeCb9ecZExU9ourhcWLg0WiQUw8F3ka54PxxNhdssziMh45kAd33CR9exWrSE_aem_BlL89Mht_Fpts6O380yRvw)

Trump Demands Prosecution Be Erased After Felony Conviction

Donald Trump used Truth Social to attack prosecutors, judges, and media figures in a late-night post series, claiming he is an "innocent man" despite his May 2024 conviction on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payoff to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump falsely asserted that his former personal attorney Michael Cohen stated he was "pressured and coerced" to testify, mischaracterizing Cohen's podcast comments to Sirius XM host Michael Smerconish as exoneration when Cohen detailed his own decision to provide truthful testimony.

Trump demanded Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James be fired, claiming they invented charges "that nobody has ever been charged with in the History of Manhattan" and transformed nonexistent "misdemeanors" into felonies. He made no factual distinction between the charges he faced and any prior cases, instead advancing the baseless argument that prosecution itself constitutes persecution targeting him personally.

The posts included links to six articles from the conservative outlet Just the News focused on Democratic corruption allegations, Trump's cognitive test results, the 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents, Hunter Biden, and Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis's efforts to prosecute Trump for election interference. Trump continued his decade-long campaign against mainstream media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN, claiming they would frame even an Iranian surrender as a victory against the United States.

Trump boasted of orchestrating political retribution against Republican officials including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, characterizing these actions as "taking out" enemies. He also claimed credit for deterring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a "major raid" on Beirut, Lebanon, contradicting reporting of a contentious phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

The posting spree demonstrated Trump's reliance on unsubstantiated claims and distortion of factual record while seeking to reshape legal accountability as political weaponization, continuing his pattern of attacking institutions and individuals who have enforced laws against him or refused his demands for personal loyalty.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html)(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html)

Pete Hegseth Blocks Black and Female Navy Officers from Getting Promotions: Report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked promotions for at least seven Navy officers in May 2026, including two women and two Black men, according to reporting by The New York Times on June 1. Three additional officers removed from the promotion list were white men. The blocking contradicts the stated composition of the Navy, where women comprise approximately 21% of active-duty personnel and about 38% identify as racial minorities, yet the May promotion list included no female officers and only two nonwhite officers.

Four current and former defense officials characterized Hegseth's actions as "highly unusual." This pattern aligns with reporting from NBC News in April, citing nine U.S. officials, that Hegseth blocked or delayed promotions across all military branches based on officers' "race, gender or perceived affiliation with [former President Joe] Biden administration policies or officials." In March, The New York Times documented Hegseth blocking promotions of two women Army officers and two Black Army officers to one-star general ranks.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied the report, calling The New York Times "race-baiting garbage" and claiming the outlet views "almost everything through the lens of race and gender over merit." Parnell stated that "military promotions are given to those who have earned them" and asserted the Department will never consider "the color of a service member's skin or their gender as a factor in promotions." These denials came despite the documented pattern of exclusions.

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith, a Democrat, directly attributed the removals to Hegseth's ideological targeting. Smith stated in April that Hegseth has "oust[ed] numerous decorated, knowledgeable, and well-respected U.S. military leaders" and "continue[s] to target others in the department who appear to pose a challenge to him personally or don't fit his world view rather than letting merit and competence determine promotions." Smith warned the actions "threaten the stability of our armed forces" and "erode the non-partisan role of the military."

Hegseth's removals form part of a broader pattern of institutional control consistent with efforts to restrict press access to Pentagon operations and consolidate loyalty within the defense apparatus. These personnel decisions demonstrate the use of military authority to enforce ideological conformity rather than merit-based advancement.

(Source: https://people.com/pete-hegseth-blocks-black-and-female-navy-officers-from-receiving-promotions-report-11988460?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=6a1e215499519100013f9925&fbclid=IwdGRjcASLs9JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeIbFKNfkDxLmkNcnnWrrCrZ2LoFJkdKXsd1PjTri2IF8qGLfzwfgr-Gk_ws0_aem_YSm1EWQnHrlm8PnYzAlpWQ)

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