Trump’s administration: The biggest beneficiary is himself

New York Times contributing commentator Steven Ratner published an article titled “Trump’s Biggest Beneficiary: Himself,” arguing that Trump’s second term has set a new ethical bar for presidential behavior, exceeding the level of transgressions by any modern president. He noted that Trump has blatantly pursued personal gain by abolishing conflict-of-interest regulations, firing regulators, rewarding large donors, and promoting his family’s cryptocurrency business. Trump not only provided pardons and policy concessions to donors but also exploited his power to facilitate the business interests of allies like Elon Musk, creating vast fortunes for his family and allies through, for example, relaxing cryptocurrency regulations and restructuring government contracts. Furthermore, his business partnerships with Saudi Arabia, his massive fundraising for political action committees, and his attempt to bring the British Open golf tournament to the Trump Organization’s Scottish resort further underscore his self-serving style of governance. These actions not only undermine the norms of good governance but also irreversibly damage the credibility of American leaders. While some institutional safeguards may be restored in the future, Trump’s actions have left a deep stain on American political history, making self-serving behavior a core characteristic of this administration. The credibility of American leaders has been irreversibly damaged. Internationally, American leaders are no longer trusted to abide by the law, and the image of the United States has been damaged.