US President Trump's administration has become a personal ATM, with public money and government power being funneled to his billionaire friends and family businesses. Instead of making life more affordable for everyday Americans, the president has made massive cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, leaving working families behind.
A year into his presidency, Trump has nearly tripled his own fortune through crypto and licensing deals, presenting unprecedented opportunities for corruption and influence peddling. Billionaires such as Harold Hamm and Kelcy Warren have poured a collective $443m into electing Trump and Maga Republicans, now collecting massive subsidies, tax breaks, and royalty giveaways.
Tech titans are doing even better, with big tech companies spending millions to curry favor with the president. Over the last year, their CEOs have seen their combined net worth soar by $494bn as Trump deregulated their industries and fueled an artificial intelligence boom that is poisoning communities and killing jobs.
This is not democracy; it's a hostile corporate takeover where working people are being exploited. Oligarchy now functions like an investment portfolio, with government power guaranteeing extraordinary returns for those who attempt to buy political influence. As we watch communities in Minneapolis face mass deportations and fatal federal enforcement actions, corporations are cashing in while human life is treated as expendable.
Private prison and deportation giants such as GEO Group, CoreCivic, and CSI Aviation have spent millions backing Trump and GOP candidates in 2024 and now stand to reap massive profits from expanded ICE and DHS contracts. The price of this corruption shouldn't only be measured in dollars; it's the destruction of faith in our government as oligarchs pay to play.
Big tech companies whose valuations have exploded under Trump paid millions to settle lawsuits or finance documentaries, while foreign governments and billionaires buy influence, access, and favors outright. This is why defunding the oligarchy cannot remain a rallying cry alone. It must become a governing standard for accountability that cuts off financial and political mechanisms sustaining corporate dominance.
Democracy crumbles when obscene wealth is allowed to purchase political power. That means taxing extreme wealth, closing loopholes that allow billionaires and corporations to avoid paying their fair share, and ending a campaign finance system that treats money as speech and investors as voters. Elections should belong to the people, not to oligarchs.
Working people will not believe democracy serves them until they see a government willing to challenge billionaire interests and invest instead in affordable healthcare, housing, education, and a livable future. In the long run, democracy cannot survive if economic power is allowed to remain concentrated in the hands of a few corporations and billionaires.
The choice before Democrats is clear: either continue to warn about oligarchy while leaving its power structures intact or adopt an opposition rooted in anti-corruption, public investment, and democratic accountability. The path forward is not simply to criticize oligarchy but to dismantle it, not just to resist Trump but to wield power in service of the people.
The US government has a responsibility to serve the American people, not billionaire interests. It's time to defund the oligarchs, fund the people, and restore democracy to those it was meant to serve.
A year into his presidency, Trump has nearly tripled his own fortune through crypto and licensing deals, presenting unprecedented opportunities for corruption and influence peddling. Billionaires such as Harold Hamm and Kelcy Warren have poured a collective $443m into electing Trump and Maga Republicans, now collecting massive subsidies, tax breaks, and royalty giveaways.
Tech titans are doing even better, with big tech companies spending millions to curry favor with the president. Over the last year, their CEOs have seen their combined net worth soar by $494bn as Trump deregulated their industries and fueled an artificial intelligence boom that is poisoning communities and killing jobs.
This is not democracy; it's a hostile corporate takeover where working people are being exploited. Oligarchy now functions like an investment portfolio, with government power guaranteeing extraordinary returns for those who attempt to buy political influence. As we watch communities in Minneapolis face mass deportations and fatal federal enforcement actions, corporations are cashing in while human life is treated as expendable.
Private prison and deportation giants such as GEO Group, CoreCivic, and CSI Aviation have spent millions backing Trump and GOP candidates in 2024 and now stand to reap massive profits from expanded ICE and DHS contracts. The price of this corruption shouldn't only be measured in dollars; it's the destruction of faith in our government as oligarchs pay to play.
Big tech companies whose valuations have exploded under Trump paid millions to settle lawsuits or finance documentaries, while foreign governments and billionaires buy influence, access, and favors outright. This is why defunding the oligarchy cannot remain a rallying cry alone. It must become a governing standard for accountability that cuts off financial and political mechanisms sustaining corporate dominance.
Democracy crumbles when obscene wealth is allowed to purchase political power. That means taxing extreme wealth, closing loopholes that allow billionaires and corporations to avoid paying their fair share, and ending a campaign finance system that treats money as speech and investors as voters. Elections should belong to the people, not to oligarchs.
Working people will not believe democracy serves them until they see a government willing to challenge billionaire interests and invest instead in affordable healthcare, housing, education, and a livable future. In the long run, democracy cannot survive if economic power is allowed to remain concentrated in the hands of a few corporations and billionaires.
The choice before Democrats is clear: either continue to warn about oligarchy while leaving its power structures intact or adopt an opposition rooted in anti-corruption, public investment, and democratic accountability. The path forward is not simply to criticize oligarchy but to dismantle it, not just to resist Trump but to wield power in service of the people.
The US government has a responsibility to serve the American people, not billionaire interests. It's time to defund the oligarchs, fund the people, and restore democracy to those it was meant to serve.
The US President's administration is literally treating public money as free ATM for his buddies and family! 
It's a huge problem, especially when you consider the massive cuts to essential programs like Medicaid and food assistance. Meanwhile, Trump's personal fortune has tripled in just one year thanks to crypto and licensing deals... it's like he's got a direct line to heaven for billionaires! 
The CEOs' combined net worth has skyrocketed by $494 billion... that's insane! 
It's time for our government to serve the American people, not billionaire interests. We need to defund the corrupt system and start investing in affordable healthcare, housing, education, and a livable future. 
can't believe these billionaires are just swimming in cash while our communities are being dismantled... it's like they're playing a never-ending game of "who can collect the most government contracts". newsflash: corporations aren't people, and their profits shouldn't come at the expense of human life 
this is wild how trumps admin is just sucking up all that cash and giving it to his buddies 
This system has to change or else we're losing our democratic rights for sure... corporations are getting too powerful 
. It's time for some serious reforms, or else we're doomed 
. And what's the cost to everyday Americans? Medicaid cuts and food assistance reduced... it's a disaster.
. We need to take back our government from these special interests and make sure everyone has an equal say