They can't help it. Conservatism has always been intimately tied up with corruption and bad management. Trump is the textbook example, almost a caricature, of that conservative corruption.
Throughout the history of the country, Republicans would ruin the economy of the country with tax breaks for the rich and deregulation, which they try to fix with warmongering foreign adventures that always end bad, and the cycle of bad management and corruption is broken when the American people wake up from the torpor of GOP-fed nationalist and religious bullshit and elect a Democrat who fixes the economy and gives relief to the American people. It happened with Carter, with Clinton and with Obama, all of whom balanced the budget and healed the economy that had been mismanaged under their republican predecessors.
The earlier Great Moron republican president Ronald Reagan secretly sold weapons to Iran and funneled the money to the terrorist Contra rebels in Nicaragua. His heir to the presidency, his VP George H.W. Bush played a big role in the Iran-Contra affair, then in the Iraqgate scandal in which U.S. agricultural loans to Iraq were diverted to purchase weapons, not to forget the multiple sexual misconduct accusations made against him, albeit later in 2017.
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Texas Republicans once impeached Paxton. Now his Senate run splits them
Mateo Rosiles, USA TODAY NETWORK
Tue, June 2, 2026
Three years after a majority of Texas House Republicans voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, the divisions from that vote are resurfacing as he runs for U.S. Senate.
Paxton’s runoff victory over Sen. John Cornyn, backed by President Donald Trump, has prompted varied responses from Republican lawmakers. Some who voted to impeach him now support his campaign, while others have raised concerns about his candidacy.
The race comes as Republicans revisit the political impact of Paxton’s 2023 impeachment.
In that vote, 60 Republicans joined 61 Democrats in the Texas House to approve articles of impeachment against Paxton, making him the third state official in Texas history to be impeached — the others being District Judge O.P. Carrillo and Gov. James "Pa" Ferguson. Twenty-three Republicans voted against impeachment. The articles included allegations of abuse of office, bribery and misuse of taxpayer funds, but Paxton was later acquitted by the Texas Senate.
Now, as Paxton is the Republican nominee for Senate, House Republicans who supported impeachment have taken differing positions. One is supporting his campaign. Another has publicly questioned the implications of his candidacy. A third has raised the possibility of subpoenaing Paxton over a recent plea deal involving a man convicted of sexually abusing a child.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to supporters after winning the Republican runoff election for U.S. Senate in Texas, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn, in Plano, Texas, May 26, 2026. Paxton will face Democrat James Talarico in the November general election.
Burrows sings a different tune for Paxton after impeaching him
Dustin Burrows was not yet speaker in 2023. At the time, he represented House District 83 in Lubbock and was chairman of the House Calendars Committee.
On May 27, 2023, Burrows was among 60 Republican representatives who voted to impeach Paxton, saying it was a decision he did not take lightly, noting that the impeachment simply meant there was enough evidence for members to believe the issues needed to be tried by the Texas Senate.
In a statement on social media in May 2023, Burrows said: "The facts presented are serious and the laws that were allegedly broken serious enough to warrant his removal from office."
"The allegations, (which everyone I know believes to be true), suggest a pattern of him selling the power of his office for personal gain, including the issuing of subpoenas for someone who employed his mistress. Is this the conduct and character that Texans deserve as their representation?" Burrows asked.
At the time, Burrows said he knew Paxton personally and applauded everything he had done as attorney general up to that point, but said the ends don't always justify the means.
Paxton did not take kindly to Burrows voting to impeach him. As the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, part of USA TODAY Network, reported at the time, Paxton launched a revenge tour to replace Burrows — and other state lawmakers who voted to impeach him. Paxton ultimately failed to replace Burrows.
They have taken shots at each other since the impeachment, but Burrows has changed his tune about Paxton since he defeated Cornyn in the Republican runoff.
On Election Day on May 26, as results were coming in, Burrows posted to social media congratulating Paxton on his win — 30 minutes before the Associated Press called the race for Paxton.
In that social media post, Burrows called Paxton "a steadfast conservative fighter for Texas" and signaled his willingness to support Paxton in the months leading up to the November general election.
Texas state House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, at the Texas Tech University groundbreaking ceremony of its Critical Infrastructure Security Site at the Reese National Security Complex on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 in Lubbock, Texas.
"With so much at stake for our state and our country, Republicans are united and ready for the fight ahead. Looking forward to supporting Ken Paxton as we work to protect the values and freedoms that make Texas exceptional," read the post.
Leach won't move on from Paxton — and a Waco plea deal
If Burrows flipped, Rep. Jeff Leach did so out of party loyalty.
The Plano Republican, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee — which has jurisdiction over Paxton's office — voted to impeach Paxton and survived Paxton's attempt to replace him in the House with another candidate in his 2024 election.
He backed Cornyn in the runoff and threatened to subpoena Paxton over a plea deal unrelated to the Senate race. Instead, Leach raised the question days before the runoff of what kind of attorney general the party would nominate for the U.S. Senate and asked voters to "vote accordingly."
During the runoff election, Paxton was taking heat from Cornyn's camp over a "sweetheart" deal his office had given to Waco attorney Adam Hoffman.
In that case, as the El Paso Times, part of USA TODAY Network, reported, Hoffman was facing a life sentence for the sexual abuse of a child that lasted three years. However, Paxton's office intervened and offered a plea deal:
- 60 days in county jail.
- No mandatory registration as a sex offender.
- No permanent loss of Hoffman’s law license.
Republican Texas State Representative Jeff Leach sits during a session as Democratic lawmakers, who left the state to deny Republicans the opportunity to redraw the state's 38 congressional districts, begin returning to the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, U.S. August 20, 2025.
Leach called the deal "incomprehensible" and sent a letter to Paxton on May 6 demanding answers about how it came about.
"This inquiry is not about politics. It is about accountability, transparency, and restoring public confidence in a justice system that victims are asked to trust during the most painful moments of their lives," Leach wrote.
As KWTX in Waco reported, Hoffman was released early from McLennan County Jail on May 25 after serving 29 days of his 60-day sentence.
In a post later that day, Leach again demanded answers from Paxton.
"If my House Judiciary Committee has to subpoena Ken Paxton himself to explain this — be assured that we will do so. We deserve answers. And this is not going away," Leach said in his post.
After Paxton won the runoff, Leach posted on social media saying, "You can be sure I’ll be supporting every Republican from top to bottom this November."
"Bottom line: We Republicans must quickly heal and unite from these bruising primaries — and I promise to do my part to help make that happen. The Texas we know and love is worth it," read the post.
If Burrows flipped, Rep. Jeff Leach did so out of party loyalty.
The Plano Republican, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee — which has jurisdiction over Paxton's office — voted to impeach Paxton and survived Paxton's attempt to replace him in the House with another candidate in his 2024 election.
He backed Cornyn in the runoff and threatened to subpoena Paxton over a plea deal unrelated to the Senate race. Instead, Leach raised the question days before the runoff of what kind of attorney general the party would nominate for the U.S. Senate and asked voters to "vote accordingly."
During the runoff election, Paxton was taking heat from Cornyn's camp over a "sweetheart" deal his office had given to Waco attorney Adam Hoffman.
In that case, as the El Paso Times, part of USA TODAY Network, reported, Hoffman was facing a life sentence for the sexual abuse of a child that lasted three years. However, Paxton's office intervened and offered a plea deal:
- 60 days in county jail.
- No mandatory registration as a sex offender.
- No permanent loss of Hoffman’s law license.
Republican Texas State Representative Jeff Leach sits during a session as Democratic lawmakers, who left the state to deny Republicans the opportunity to redraw the state's 38 congressional districts, begin returning to the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, U.S. August 20, 2025.
Leach called the deal "incomprehensible" and sent a letter to Paxton on May 6 demanding answers about how it came about.
"This inquiry is not about politics. It is about accountability, transparency, and restoring public confidence in a justice system that victims are asked to trust during the most painful moments of their lives," Leach wrote.
As KWTX in Waco reported, Hoffman was released early from McLennan County Jail on May 25 after serving 29 days of his 60-day sentence.
In a post later that day, Leach again demanded answers from Paxton.
"If my House Judiciary Committee has to subpoena Ken Paxton himself to explain this — be assured that we will do so. We deserve answers. And this is not going away," Leach said in his post.
After Paxton won the runoff, Leach posted on social media saying, "You can be sure I’ll be supporting every Republican from top to bottom this November."
"Bottom line: We Republicans must quickly heal and unite from these bruising primaries — and I promise to do my part to help make that happen. The Texas we know and love is worth it," read the post.
Phelan warns Paxton could cost Republicans the state
Former Speaker Dade Phelan led the House during the Paxton impeachment.
But he lost his bid to remain speaker after backlash from hard-line conservatives over the impeachment trial, among other reasons. Burrows was elected to the role in his place.
Phelan still serves in the House as the representative for District 21 in Beaumont, Texas.
During the trial, Phelan led the chamber through the impeachment, defended the process and survived Paxton's attempt to replace him in the House and the Texas Republican Party's censure. Phelan even backed Cornyn during the runoff.
AUSTIN, TX - JULY 13: Speaker of the Texas House U.S. Rep. Dade Phelan (R-TX) (C) listens to U.S. Rep. Will Metcalf (R-TX) (L) move to issue a call of the House to try to regain a quorum on July 13, 2021 in Austin, Texas. The Texas House voted to arrest Democrats who fled the state to deny a quorum in protest of Republicans' controversial voting bill.
Recently, the former speaker spoke to Newsweek about Paxton taking on Talarico, issuing a warning to Texans and the state's Republican party.
"I've said this a million times—Paxton’s lazy. So, with this Talarico-Paxton as the matchup, we have a problem in Texas because the guy's never been at the top of the ticket and had to run a major race. He's always been coattails,” Phelan said to Newsweek.
Phelan also suggested that there is a faction of Republicans who would not vote for Paxton under any circumstances, and warned that under those conditions, Republicans could lose their edge in the state's legislature and judiciary.
The split among Burrows, Phelan and Leach reflects a Republican Party in Texas that has tried over the past three years to put the Paxton impeachment and allegations behind it, only to confront them head-on once more in a race Republicans thought they could coast through.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas Republicans remain split over Paxton as US Senate race looms
Former Speaker Dade Phelan led the House during the Paxton impeachment.
But he lost his bid to remain speaker after backlash from hard-line conservatives over the impeachment trial, among other reasons. Burrows was elected to the role in his place.
Phelan still serves in the House as the representative for District 21 in Beaumont, Texas.
During the trial, Phelan led the chamber through the impeachment, defended the process and survived Paxton's attempt to replace him in the House and the Texas Republican Party's censure. Phelan even backed Cornyn during the runoff.
AUSTIN, TX - JULY 13: Speaker of the Texas House U.S. Rep. Dade Phelan (R-TX) (C) listens to U.S. Rep. Will Metcalf (R-TX) (L) move to issue a call of the House to try to regain a quorum on July 13, 2021 in Austin, Texas. The Texas House voted to arrest Democrats who fled the state to deny a quorum in protest of Republicans' controversial voting bill.
Recently, the former speaker spoke to Newsweek about Paxton taking on Talarico, issuing a warning to Texans and the state's Republican party.
"I've said this a million times—Paxton’s lazy. So, with this Talarico-Paxton as the matchup, we have a problem in Texas because the guy's never been at the top of the ticket and had to run a major race. He's always been coattails,” Phelan said to Newsweek.
Phelan also suggested that there is a faction of Republicans who would not vote for Paxton under any circumstances, and warned that under those conditions, Republicans could lose their edge in the state's legislature and judiciary.
The split among Burrows, Phelan and Leach reflects a Republican Party in Texas that has tried over the past three years to put the Paxton impeachment and allegations behind it, only to confront them head-on once more in a race Republicans thought they could coast through.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas Republicans remain split over Paxton as US Senate race looms
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Emanuel dings Democrats for missing corruption messaging 'gem'
Nicholas Wu
Tue, June 2, 2026
For Rahm Emanuel, it’s more than the economy, stupid.
The likely 2028 presidential candidate, who served as House Democratic campaigns chief during the party’s successful 2006 midterms, told Semafor that Democrats should sharpen their arguments about President Donald Trump’s self-dealing while in office — by hitching them to affordability-focused messaging.
“This is a gem sitting there. I think the Democrats … have been episodic in touching it, rather than front and center,” Emanuel said. “Corruption as part of the affordability narrative is more chess, where affordability alone is more checkers.”
Many Democratic candidates have homed in on inflation and affordability-focused messaging this cycle, especially after some in the party chalked up their 2024 losses to voters punishing them for the post-pandemic spike in inflation.
With polling generally showing cost-of-living issues rank among voters’ top concerns, Democrats are confident they can turn this fall’s midterm elections into a referendum on Trump and Republicans’ handling of the economy.
Top Hill Democrats contend that they’re already pairing the arguments together. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted Trump’s $1.8 billion fund of taxpayer money for people allegedly victimized by the government and has singled out purple-district Republicans like Reps. Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York for alleged ethical issues.
“Vulnerable Republicans have destroyed the economy and raised costs on almost everyone, all while self-dealing and lining their own pockets,” said DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton. “Republicans will lose the House majority, because the DCCC and House Democrats are exposing their shameless corruption and failure to deliver on their central campaign promise to lower the high cost of living.”
Still, Emanuel is betting that voters could also reward Democrats for further highlighting alleged malfeasance in the Trump administration, like the controversy around the White House ballroom renovation or business deals that have benefited the president’s family — and for reminding voters how those misdeeds affect them.
“At the end of the day, this is a referendum election on the president and a rubber-stamp Congress,” he said. “Yes, it’s about groceries, but it’s about the fact that they’re not paying attention to your bread costs while they’re making millions and billions of dollars for themselves.”
Nicholas Wu
Tue, June 2, 2026
For Rahm Emanuel, it’s more than the economy, stupid.
The likely 2028 presidential candidate, who served as House Democratic campaigns chief during the party’s successful 2006 midterms, told Semafor that Democrats should sharpen their arguments about President Donald Trump’s self-dealing while in office — by hitching them to affordability-focused messaging.
“This is a gem sitting there. I think the Democrats … have been episodic in touching it, rather than front and center,” Emanuel said. “Corruption as part of the affordability narrative is more chess, where affordability alone is more checkers.”
Many Democratic candidates have homed in on inflation and affordability-focused messaging this cycle, especially after some in the party chalked up their 2024 losses to voters punishing them for the post-pandemic spike in inflation.
With polling generally showing cost-of-living issues rank among voters’ top concerns, Democrats are confident they can turn this fall’s midterm elections into a referendum on Trump and Republicans’ handling of the economy.
Top Hill Democrats contend that they’re already pairing the arguments together. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted Trump’s $1.8 billion fund of taxpayer money for people allegedly victimized by the government and has singled out purple-district Republicans like Reps. Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York for alleged ethical issues.
“Vulnerable Republicans have destroyed the economy and raised costs on almost everyone, all while self-dealing and lining their own pockets,” said DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton. “Republicans will lose the House majority, because the DCCC and House Democrats are exposing their shameless corruption and failure to deliver on their central campaign promise to lower the high cost of living.”
Still, Emanuel is betting that voters could also reward Democrats for further highlighting alleged malfeasance in the Trump administration, like the controversy around the White House ballroom renovation or business deals that have benefited the president’s family — and for reminding voters how those misdeeds affect them.
“At the end of the day, this is a referendum election on the president and a rubber-stamp Congress,” he said. “Yes, it’s about groceries, but it’s about the fact that they’re not paying attention to your bread costs while they’re making millions and billions of dollars for themselves.”
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How Trump has used the presidency to benefit himself and his allies
WILL WEISSERT and MICHELLE L. PRICE
Updated Tue, June 2, 2026
President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives at the White House, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump tried to create a near $1.8 billion fund that could be funneled to his supporters as a means of settling a lawsuit he filed against his own government — even arguing that he “gave up a lot of money in allowing" it.
After drawing outcry in Congress and the courts, however, the White House is reconsidering the fund. That potentially means the suit — and the possibility that the president could still cash in — might be back on.
Trump hasn’t been shy about turning the presidency into a major source of personal benefit, involving everything from merchandising deals to crypto ventures to high-dollar political and official events at his properties.
Asked about possible self-dealing by the president, the White House called such suggestions “the same, tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade.”
"President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public — which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media," spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “There are no conflicts of interest.”
Here are some key ways Trump has reaped rewards for himself, his children and allies in his second term:
Last year, the president submitted a claim seeking $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for a FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House.
In January this year, Trump, his two eldest sons and the family's business, the Trump Organization, filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department after a former IRS contractor illegally leaked Trump's tax returns.
In an attempt to resolve those cases, Trump's government agreed that $1.776 billion in taxpayer funds be distributed to people who believe they were targeted by past administrations for prosecution for political purposes — including the Trump supporters imprisoned for attacking police while overrunning the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
After blowback from even some congressional Republicans, the Justice Department now says it will comply with a ruling temporarily blocking the fund.
But there was less clamor about another part of the deal allowing the government to drop pending IRS audits into Trump and his relatives.
Separately, the Air Force has agreed to purchase interceptor drones from Powerus, a Florida-based company linked to Trump’s family. And ProPublica reported that direct intervention from the White House preceded the Pentagon agreeing to loan $620 million to Vulcan Elements, a North Carolina startup linked to Donald Trump Jr.
Trump Organization spokesperson Kimberly Benza denied any ethical conflicts between the White House and the family business.
“The Trump Organization operates completely separate from the presidency and is in full compliance with all ethics and conflict-of-interest laws,” Benza said in a statement.
As for Powerus, Benza said Eric Trump was “a passive investor in a vehicle that, among many others, holds an interest” in the company, but wasn't involved in its decision-making or management.
Office of Government Ethics filings show Trump made more than 3,600 stock trades in the first quarter of 2026 alone — transactions far exceeding $100 million in value.
Many of those trades involved sizable purchases of shares of technology and artificial intelligence giants like Nvidia, Dell, Oracle and Palantir before Trump's administration took policy actions favoring those firms.
Similar disclosures last year show that Trump bought up more than $300 million in bonds issued by companies, states and municipalities even as he repeatedly pressed the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates — a move that could help drive up the value of his holdings.
Crypto ventures
Trump's family has raked in big profits in the crypto sector since he was reelected. A key driver has been the $TRUMP meme coin, announced the day before Trump took office. Some 220 of the top investors were invited to a subsequent, private reception with the president.
Trump's family also has a controlling stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm co-founded with the president's special envoy Steve Witkoff and run by his son Zach. It has its own stablecoin, USD1, and got a major boost when, just before Trump took office, an investment fund linked to the United Arab Emirates bought a large stake in it.
An Abu Dhabi state-backed investment firm, MGX, subsequently pledged to use $2 billion worth of USD1 to purchase a stake in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange — a move that further bolstered World Liberty Financial.
Trump has promoted many such goods on social media, particularly during his 2024 campaign, but they've also made conspicuous appearances at the White House.
When French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited last summer, Trump showed them a merchandise room off the Oval Office stocked with goods for sale on his website. A few months later, video emerged of Trump at the White House spraying Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa with bottles of his “Victory 47” cologne and perfume, which he gave him as a gift.
The president displayed hats emblazoned with “Trump 2028” on the Resolute Desk while meeting with congressional Democrats last year. And, during a televised Cabinet meeting in May, at every seat was a red hat commemorating America's 250th anniversary.
Each hat sells for $55 on Trump's website.
The LIV Golf league, controlled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is helmed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has held events at Doral. Trump will host the G20 summit there in November.
That means world leaders, support staff, business executives, journalists and the bevies of others involved will be paying the Trump Organization, which purchased Doral in 2012, to attend. The president has already tried to head off criticism of self-dealing around the summit, saying that government attendees will be billed “at-cost" and “We will not make any money on it."
Meanwhile, conservative groups and Republican committees have spent at least $26 million at Trump properties since 2015. The actual figure is likely higher since some groups don’t have to detail their spending.
Qatar gave Trump a $400 million jet that he intends to employ as Air Force One, then store at his presidential library after he leaves office. The gift has undergone extensive taxpayer-funded rebuilding and security upgrades that lawmakers estimate may exceed $1 billion.
Trump has also ordered up scores of renovation projects meant to leave his mark on Washington while passing on the costs to taxpayers.
He long insisted that wealthy donors would pay for the $400 million ballroom he demolished the White House's East Wing to build — only to seek $1 billion in federal funding for security upgrades he says the military and Secret Service have sought as part of the project.
At least $15 million in public funds is going for the ceremonial arch Trump wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital. The National Park Service is also paying a contractor $13.1 million to carry out the Trump-directed renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
