This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler Appetite for corruption – How Trump is letting kleptocrats destroy the world
Jul 10, 2025
In a compelling discussion, Oliver Bullough, a sharp investigative journalist and author, explores how the Trump administration has exacerbated global corruption. He reveals the troubling ties between powerful figures and kleptocrats. Bullough also sheds light on Britain's role in laundering illicit funds and the complexities of U.S. corporate registration that foster opacity. Delving into money laundering techniques like smurfing, he warns of the urgent need for reform in the face of rising corruption and challenges to integrity in financial systems.
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IRS Enforcement Cuts Under Trump
- Under Trump, US tax enforcement policies reduced IRS revenue agents by 31%, heavily undermining tax collection.
- This decline represents a systematic favoring of the wealthy, enabling greater tax evasion and corruption.
West Enables Global Kleptocracy
- Western financial systems unwittingly facilitate kleptocrats by offering secrecy and services for illicit funds.
- UK professionals and property markets have long accommodated corrupt elites laundering money abroad.
Corrupt Money Undermines Democracy
- Accepting corrupt money into the UK may boost growth short-term but erodes political integrity long-term.
- This corruption ultimately threatens the foundations of a successful democratic system.
