The Trump family is openly looting the federal government. Congressional Republicans have decided that’s fine.
My congressman, Rep. Bob Onder, recently sent a constituent email praising the Trump White House for its anti-fraud efforts. The irony was hard to miss.
Last week’s big story was that President Donald Trump backed down from his deeply fraudulent fund to reward his political supporters with almost $1.8 billion of the taxpayers’ money — potentially including rioters on Jan. 6, 2021 — because Senate Republicans revolted.
But that is so rare. Most of the time, Congressional Republicans look at the most documented corruption in modern American history — then turn around and send emails bragging about safeguards against fraud.
The oversight machinery of Congress exists precisely for moments like this: the committees, the subpoenas, the public hearings that serve as the counterweight to executive overreach. Republicans control all of it. They have chosen not to use any of it.