this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2026
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Pay for play is what made Trump the President possible, see Super PACs and Citizens United for more details.
PACs financed by, well, any country or organization or person, really, can funnel millions directly to their chosen candidate (or their favorite shell company, and so on).
They call it "donations", because fuck you.
Remember, we're only told about the up-front "donations" that they openly claim for publicity. It's a lot more than that.
Pay for play isn't just a Trump thing, and it's been around at least the last 40 years. The presidents from Reagan to Obama paved the way for this grift. For example, when body scanners became a thing at airports, it was reported that one of the major contractors in the effort was a personal friend of Barack Obama.
But there are plenty of examples: Halliburton and the Clinton Foundation, the Trump Organization, taking $500,000 for a "speaking fee". (When really, it's a payment for a future favor.)
Presidents making money for themselves and their friends has been a tradition since Reagan. As much as I despise Jimmy Carter, I'll give him a modicum of credit for not monetizing the presidency.