FLASH
Shkruar nga Max Ferrario
It's not a completely new story, but this time we have official documents published by the US administration itself. It has long been known that Trump did not see the economic benefit of his position as president as a problem...
From cryptocurrencies to immigration and rare earths, Donald Trump's presidency is facing challenges that intersect politics, business and justice. Recent Supreme Court decisions and tensions within MAGA are shifting the political balance. Their impact is expected to be measured in the midterm elections.
On the day the Supreme Court rejected Donald Trump's attempt to limit birthright citizenship by executive order, the US president faced another controversy. New financial documents revealed his family's huge profits, particularly from cryptocurrencies, during his first year back in the White House.
Massimo Gaggi, a columnist for Corriere della Sera, sees these two issues as part of the same picture: the intertwining of political power with private interests, debates over immigration, divisions within the MAGA movement, and the challenges that Trump will face in the midterm elections.
Official documents reveal over $1 billion in income for the Trump family, mostly from cryptocurrencies. What do they show?
It's not a completely new story, but this time we have official documents released by the US administration itself. It has long been known that Trump did not see the economic benefit of his position as president as a problem.
However, we are now dealing with a completely different scale. For more than two centuries, the principle that whoever governs should serve the public interest and not use office for personal gain has prevailed in American politics.
There have been scandals involving presidential families in the US before. What makes this case different?
There have always been scandals, but they are much more limited than what we are seeing today. There have been favors for relatives, controversial foundation cases or even the Hunter Biden case, who was a consultant to the Ukrainian company “Burisma” when Joe Biden was vice president. With Trump we have a much broader mechanism. Even during the first term there was criticism of his agreements in the Gulf countries, but they remain in the shadows compared to the activity of the second term.
What do you mean by "broader mechanism"?
It's not just about cryptocurrencies. We're talking about stablecoins, investments that benefit from political decisions, and other business activities directly or indirectly linked to the government. Trump's children are also investing in the rare earth minerals sector, including projects in Central Asia, a region of great geopolitical importance.
So, in your opinion, we have a combination of economic interests and political agenda?
Yes, and that's the gist of it. The most surprising thing is that Trump seems to consider this completely legitimate. He argues that the businesses are managed by his children, but this
It's not enough. There is no true "blind trust" as other presidents have used, while he remains the ultimate beneficiary of these interests.
Meanwhile, his children seem to be openly exploiting their connection to the White House...
Yes. They travel, meet investors and tell them that they can invest with confidence because the administration is favorable to this sector. In the case of stablecoins, this was clearly seen. The Trump family entered the market and shortly after the president signed an executive order that significantly liberalized the rules. They themselves say that in their first term they respected the restrictions and lost money. Now they no longer feel obliged to respect them.
Let's move on to the Supreme Court. Did Trump suffer a defeat on the issue of citizenship by birth?
Yes. The court acted as expected. Even though it has a conservative majority, it ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment is very clear and cannot be overridden by presidential decree. Even some conservative justices were unwilling to deviate from the constitutional text.
However, this does not mean that his immigration policy has stopped...
No. Trump still has a lot of room for maneuver. Those most at risk are those in the U.S. under protection or temporary permits. For them, deportation remains a real possibility, but with more formal and less spectacular procedures than previous ICE raids. Haitians alone number about 350,000, while the total number could approach a million.
So, the Supreme Court stopped it on a symbolic level, but left room for it on an administrative level?
To a large extent, yes. On the right to citizenship by birth he clearly lost, but in other areas the Court has expanded presidential powers. It has also recognized the possibility for the president to fire the heads of independent federal agencies, which Trump has already done with several key institutions.
What remains of the fierce offensive against immigration?
It cost him politically. Immigration was the topic where Trump had the strongest support, but his aggressive methods weakened the consensus. Even Stephen Miller has admitted that there were excesses. The objective remains to deport immigrants without legal status, but with less spectacle and more procedures.
Has the war with Iran divided the MAGA movement?
Yes, but the tensions had begun earlier. Within MAGA, an ultraconservative wing with religious roots coexists with a technological and libertarian wing, linked to figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and JD Vance.
The clashes between them are real and increasingly visible. It doesn't mean that these people have become Democrats. Many of them remain on the right, but they no longer follow Trump wholeheartedly.
Is Trump heading into the midterm elections weakened?
He is undoubtedly weaker. The Epstein case, the conflict with Iran, economic indicators, rising fuel and fertilizer prices are weighing heavily on his presidency. However, even the Democrats are not in a clear position.
Are you referring to the growing influence of Zohran Mamdani?
Yes. Mamdani is supporting left-wing candidates in primaries not only in New York but also in Colorado, while trying to expand his influence in Texas, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
If this trend continues, the Democratic Party could shift further to the left, risking losing moderate voters, especially in key states in the central part of the US. This is why, even though Trump is weaker than before, the alternative to him remains far from consolidated./ Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Il Sussidiario"
Lini një Përgjigje