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The Corruption Is the Strategy -- Mary Trump
https://www.marytrump.org/p/the-corruption-is-the-strategyDonald is not hiding his market manipulation. He is normalizing it
Donald has always used power as a means to enrich himself, his family, and those to whom he is beholden. That is not new. What is new is the scale. What is new is the brazenness. And what is new is the extent to which it is happening in full view, without consequence.
Donald has been engaged in corrupt practices for decades. That includes, at times, market manipulation alongside my grandfather. Now, with the full weight of the presidency behind him, those same instincts have been amplified into something far more dangerous.
Consider what happened on April 9, 2025.
That matters because it means that the people who acted on his statement were operating without the full picture, while he and those close to him already knew what was coming. On that same day, Donald openly celebrated the gains of a billionaire who benefited from the market swing he helped create, stating:
That is not normal. That is not leadership. That is the President of the United States acknowledging, in real time, the extraordinary wealth generated by a market movement he very likely triggered.
. . .
Donald has been engaged in corrupt practices for decades. That includes, at times, market manipulation alongside my grandfather. Now, with the full weight of the presidency behind him, those same instincts have been amplified into something far more dangerous.
Consider what happened on April 9, 2025.
At 9:37 in the morning, Donald posted on his social media platform that it was a great time to buy. The message was clear. The implication was obvious. Less than four hours later, he announced a 90 day pause on tariffs.
The market responded immediately. The S and P 500 surged by 9.5 percent in a single day, one of the strongest performances in decades. As a direct result of that movement, Donald's personal stake in Trump Media increased by approximately 400 million dollars in a matter of hours.
He later acknowledged that he had already been considering the tariff pause before telling the public it was a good time to buy.
That matters because it means that the people who acted on his statement were operating without the full picture, while he and those close to him already knew what was coming. On that same day, Donald openly celebrated the gains of a billionaire who benefited from the market swing he helped create, stating:
This is Charles Schwab. It's not just a conversation. It's actually an individual. He made two and a half billion today and he made 900 million.
That is not normal. That is not leadership. That is the President of the United States acknowledging, in real time, the extraordinary wealth generated by a market movement he very likely triggered.
. . .