This week on Politix, Matt and Brian discuss:
* The nearly half-billion dollar judgment Trump owes New York for engaging in fraudulent business practices;
* Why MAGA spin that this his fraudulent practices were “victimless” is both bullshit, and irrelevant;
* Similarities and differences between this scam and Trump’s other fraudulent schemes.
Then, paid subscribers get a bigger picture look at where things go from here, and the significance for both the 2024 campaign and even national security. Are Trump’s latest entreaties to Vladimir Putin—on NATO, Ukraine, and the murder of Alexei Navalny—motivated by his renewed desperation for money? And will Democrats in Congress exploit this real risk of compromise the way Republicans exploited falsified allegations against Joe Biden? Will this be a watershed moment, or a(nother) missed political opportunity? Upgrade to find out!
Further reading:
* Brian encourages Senate Democrats, mainstream news reporters, law-enforcement officials, and Trump resisters to keep a close eye on whether Trump comes up with the money, and chase down the source(s).
* Eight years ago, Matt broke down how Trump avoided financial ruin after failing in Atlantic City by ripping off shareholders.
* Thirteen years ago Luis Zingales wrote, “Donald Trump’s announcement that he will not run in the Republican presidential primaries after all is great news for the Republican Party and for the country. The only thing more frightening than Trump’s running for president would be Trump’s getting elected president. From a party perspective, while losing an election is bad, winning one with the wrong candidate for the party and for the country is worse.”
* David Brooks offers a “keep it simple, stupid” explanation of why Trump’s fraud was fraud, and why fraud is bad.