Today in Politics, Bulletin 410. 7/2/26 Ron Filipkowski Jul 2 ∙ … Journalists digging into Trump’s financial reports from his first year in office are discovering an orgy of corruption and greed as he and his family make staggering profits off the presidency while Republicans look the other way and remain silent. … NYT: “Trump returned to the WH with an epiphany about mixing business and politics during his first term in office. ‘I found out that nobody cared, Trump said, revealing a remarkable indifference to potential conflicts of interest. Trump’s latest financial disclosure revealed that he made about $1.4 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses during his first year back in office - even as the Trump admin has relaxed regulation of crypto companies.” … “By tradition, American presidents have generally tried to avoid appearing to profit from the presidency, often taking actions to separate themselves from the kinds of corporate entanglements that could create conflicts of interest. Trump has chosen a different path, smashing through the few norms he paid even glancing attention to in his first term, like having his family restrain its international business activity.” … “Now, he and his family have amassed a mammoth windfall, and so far at least, Trump appears largely unconcerned that he will face the kind of political fallout that would discourage other leaders from similar moneymaking endeavors. Overall, Trump pulled in at least $2.2 billion during his first year back in office. That is compared with at least $622 million his enterprises brought in for all of 2024.” … Hillary Clinton: “The level of political and financial corruption that is not even being hidden anymore, it’s out in plain view. These people are unleashed and unhinged. I think with Trump he’s going to double down. He doesn’t care about the law. He doesn’t care about complying. And no one can make him comply.” … NYT: “A large chunk of the $2 billion haul Trump took in last year came as hundreds of thousands of his fans and other investors bet on a speculative cryptocurrency called $TRUMP, hoping its value would soar with his return to the WH. But while Trump amassed an eye-popping $636 million from the cryptocurrency, known as a memecoin, many of his followers who heeded his call to purchase the coin came out losers.” … “That outcome, documented by an independent analysis of trades and fees paid out from $TRUMP token sales, is drawing renewed attention this week, as Trump for the first time has detailed the extraordinary $1.4 billion in revenue he secured just from the cryptocurrency industry since he returned to the WH.” … The president’s financial disclosure showed how Trump and his family reaped huge financial rewards in 2025 through his money-losing Trump Media venture and a separate cryptocurrency firm called World Liberty Financial, even as routine investors suffered vast losses. He also amassed hundreds of millions through deals that involved foreign govts or corporations with agenda items pending before the Trump admin.” … Economist Steve Rattner: “Trump has earned $2.3 billion since the beginning of his presidency through 4 different crypto schemes. The common denominator for each: the Trumps win big, and you lose.” … CNN’s Alayna Treene: “Over the 2025 year, he took in nearly $77.5 million from Mar-a-Lago. That is more than 50% over what it earned him in the previous year, and triple what he was bringing in from the year 2020. The membership fee at Mar-a-Lago has risen now to $1 million. Compare that with what Trump was charging members at MAL before he ever ran for president before 2016 - just $100,000.” … Financial Times: “Trump declared making more than 22,000 stock transactions in 2025. His immediate predecessor, Joe Biden, made 13 transactions over 4 years. In his first term, Trump made 517.” … MS NOW: “Just over a week after US and Israeli forces struck Iran in late Feb, a publicly traded FL golf course company announced an unusual plan: a reverse merger to take a barely year-old drone startup public. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were part owners of the golf course company; now, they are backers of the drone startup. 7 weeks later, after a demonstration in AZ, the Air Force placed a limited order for the startup’s interceptor drones.” … “It was not an isolated move. Since their father won a second term, Don Jr. and Eric, neither of whom hold official roles in the admin - have become linked to investments in at least 10 companies with military applications. Those firms have collectively received about $3.7 billion in federal funds since the start of the second Trump admin. Three hit record levels of DOD funding within the last year.” … MS NOW interviewed Trump voters out at the Freedom 250 fair about the report: Olivia Danielle: “That’s very frustrating to hear that. $2 billion - that’s a lot of money. It’s frustrating to see a president getting richer and richer and the middle class getting poor. That’s a lot of money that could help out a lot of people.” Allen Warfield: “It’s frustrating that to see your president getting richer and richer while the middle class is getting poorer.” Kevin Chavez: “He definitely made lots of promises and made it seem like they were going to come a lot quicker than they ever will come. I don’t think this is the Trump we saw in 2016.” Female Trump voter: “I think he should just concentrate on being the president. I think he has enough money already.” … Former Rep. Marge Greene: “The GOP is a disaster. The Republican Party hijacked MAGA, pretended to be America First and MAHA, and then sold us all out. Then Trump rubber stamped the entire con job while taking checks from literally everyone. America First needs to go 1776 on the Neocon Epstein controlled Republican Party and MAHA needs to burn the bridge to the fucking ground.” … Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and Todd Blanche gave speeches to National Guard troops in Meridian Hill Park and were greeted by loud protesters who also used various noise makers including sirens during their speeches. Hegseth: “This background noise is perfect. It’s the sound of ingrates, of ingratitude, of people who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them.” … DC-based author Joe Flood: “It’s dangerously hot and the regime scheduled this ‘thank you’ outdoors. They don’t care about the troops. All they wanted was a photo op.” … Hegseth also showed up late, making troops in full uniform wait for him in formation in 93 degree heat: “To the soldiers here - thank you for waiting out here in the sun. I’m to blame. I had a meeting that went long. I never want to make a formation stand out longer than it has to.” Reuters … The Atlantic: “The capital city is an absolute mess. The WH is an active construction site, with cement trucks going through the same gates typically used by the president’s armored limousine. There’s a gaping hole where half of the building once stood, a project held up by lawsuits. The South Lawn and the Ellipse, a 52-acre park between the WH and the Washington Monument, are completely torn up.” … “The once-green grass where a temporary arena held a bloody UFC fight last month has turned brown. It looks like a demolition derby took place. The Reflecting Pool is a murky shade of green, despite a multimillion-dollar renovation to repaint it American-flag blue and mitigate its algae problem. It is now surrounded by fencing and ominous signs that read DANGER EXPLOSIVES and show a bomb being detonated. Ducks that died in the water are being tested.” … “The National Mall seems to be wrapped in a variety of fencing, some of it in place for construction reasons, some of it to create a security gantlet for the July 4 celebration. At East Potomac Golf Links, at nearby Hains Point, is a massive pile of dirt that some golfers have dubbed ‘Mount Trump,’ taken from the East Wing debris in preparation for a golf-course redo.” … “The Fed Reserve is under construction, as are various roads and bridges, and the Kennedy Center is allegedly in disrepair—and now has an odd contraption of scaffolding and flame-retardant tarps covering its signage at the main entrance like a giant Band-Aid. There are construction cranes, National Guard troops, and portable restrooms everywhere.” … WaPo: “As Trump toured the East Potomac Golf Links in D.C., he carried what appeared to be plans showing a far more extensive redevelopment of the course than officials have publicly disclosed, potentially transforming it into a championship venue.” … Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: “Trump wants to cut down DC’s oldest grove of cherry trees along the Mall and eliminate the public biking path and picnic areas so he can build a Trump golf course on public land, using public dollars, and taking spaces away from the public. The grove he’s seemingly proposing to have cut down is not the famous one along the Tidal Basin, but another grove that’s actually larger and located along the road that borders East Potomac Park. This is the bike path.” … DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro held a big press conference to announce the indictment of 3-time US Olympian David Hearn for “vandalizing” the Reflecting Pool: Q - “How do you square charging this individual when there were over a 1000 Jan 6 rioters pardoned who caused millions of dollars in damag - Pirro: Are you really talking about January 6th? I’m not! Who’s next?” Same reporter raises hand. Pirro: “NOT YOU!” Pirro: “He caused damage and that damage was over $1000. Q - How do you prove that? Pirro: With an expert. Q - With his bare hands? Pirro: We believe it's his bare hands, both hands. Q - Do you believe it was damaged before? Pirro: He damaged it! Q - Had had already been damaged before? Pirro: He damaged the pool!” … AL.com: “In 2020, when Tommy Tuberville was running for the US Senate, he said he would ‘donate every dime’ he made in Washington to AL veterans. 6 years later, as he runs for governor of AL, he won’t say whether he has kept that promise. Tuberville’s office declined to answer questions this week about whether he has donated his $174,000 Senate salary to charity.” … Journalist Aaron Rupar: “OMG - Trump’s fair is now open for the day and THERE IS LITERALLY NOBODY THERE. I count maybe one attendee.” … CNN: “WH officials are worried about turnout for Trump’s July 4th address, after the president was infuriated by the crowd size for last week’s Nat’l Mall speech. They fear high temps, tight security and the late hour could depress attendance again.” … A WH official: “I do not understand why we are doing this so late. I’m really not sure who thought this was a good idea.” … CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “We’re told that the aerial image of the crowds from Trump’s rally last week at the fair enraged him so much that officials ended up deleting them.” … Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins on Fox: “From my perspective, it’s hitting every mark we hoped it had hit at this point. I think this weekend we are going to see massive crowds. 150,000 people coming to celebrate the Great American State Fair over the last 5-6 days—I call that a huge success.” … They always lie about crowd sizes. … MS NOW interviewed DC and VA residents attending the fair: Jeff: “I’ve been to state fairs all throughout the US. This is terrible. It’s a program length advertisement for the president. There’s no cows, no sheep, no goats. How do you have a fair without animals?” Jessica: “I’ve never seen anything like this before. There’s just nothing here.” Robert: “I’m totally underwhelmed. It’s part-political. That arch over there is promoting one of Trump’s vanity projects. This is so bland.” … Journalist Andrew Leyden: “The rodeo demonstration at the State Fair is cancelled tonight due to heat.” … WSJ’s Meredith McGraw: “The 250 flyovers and fireworks in DC are cool and all but my poor dog thinks we now live in a war zone - trembling and taking cover under the table.” … NBC4 DC: “A dangerous heat wave is now underway in the region, with highs over 100° possible today through Sat. Record highs are possible for the next 3 days. The heat index could hit 110° or higher today and tomorrow. An extreme heat warning is in effect. Heat exhaustion can set in within 30 minutes in those conditions. Know the signs: heavy, uncontrollable sweating, dizziness and lightheadedness are the first signs you need to get out of the heat. If you must be outside, hydration and A/C breaks are vital to avoid heat illnesses.” … Trump: “By the way, on July 4th, it’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out, and I’m gonna go and I’m gonna make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything.” … Podcaster Keith Edwards: Just fyi, 3 presidents have died on July 4th.” This is one of those long, sprawling Bulletins jammed with news thanks to all the events heading into the holiday weekend. If you missed yesterday’s podcast Uncovered where I do a deep dive into the top stories of the week, you can find it here. You can find the last Bulletin here. I was thinking about taking this Sunday off since the 4th falls on my normal off day and we are going to have a long day and a late night on Sat. On the other hand I got a feeling that this weekend is going to be crazy when it comes to politics so as of right now I’m leaning towards doing a Weekend Bulletin on Sunday night. We will see how bad my hangover is and how much news happens. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … Fox5 DC interviewed a woman who came out of the medical tent at the fair today: “None of these booths have air conditioning. I started seeing stars. We went to the religious tent, and they had a pool. They’re baptizing people. Thank God they had the pool. They said, ‘Do you want to get in?’ I go, ‘Yes, I think I do.’ I went to the medical tent and gave me a towel and I got some electrolytes.” … Guardian: “Trump staged a hostile takeover of the US’s 250th anniversary celebration to enrich political allies, harvest voter data and promote Christian nationalist ideology, according to a congressional investigation. The report, ‘From Vanity to Insanity: How the WH Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday’, outlines a web of alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-to-play schemes orchestrated through a shadow corporation embedded within the National Park Foundation.” … “In 2016 Congress established the US semiquincentennial commission, operating as the nonprofit America250 Foundation, to plan the nation’s 2026 celebrations on a nonpartisan basis. However, under Trump, the WH launched a sustained pressure campaign to subsume the commission. When America250 leadership resisted its demands to shift focus toward partisan, campaign-style spectacles, the Trump admin created Freedom 250 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the congressionally chartered NPF.” … “The report finds that, by taking control of the NPF board and installing key campaign operatives such as Meredith O’Rourke and Chris LaCivita, the WH secured an opaque vehicle that enjoyed the NPF’s nonpartisan credibility and tax-exempt status while operating outside standard government transparency laws. … “The report alleges that Freedom 250 surreptitiously diverted resources intended for America250 for its own benefit, leaving America250 scrambling for funds. Fundraisers misled prospective America250 donors by providing them with Freedom 250’s banking and routing numbers instead. The report finds this could constitute wire fraud and charitable solicitation fraud under federal and DC law.” … “This deceit extended to the entertainment industry. Artists recruited for the kickoff of the Great American State Fair – including Martina McBride and Young MC – were assured the event was nonpartisan, only to face social media backlash when the event was revealed to be a Trump-backed rally. In the words of Young MC, the booking was a ‘bait and switch.’” … NOTUS: “A local OH historical society had hoped to go big for America’s 250th anniversary. It settled on what it could afford: a limited ‘passport’ project to encourage people to visit and engage with local history sites. Local libraries and historical associations across the country were instead forced to abandon planning for ambitious history and civics initiatives when the Trump admin axed fed funding for state and local humanities projects last year.” … “In nearly every state and territory across the country, the official humanities nonprofits created by a congressional mandate to help make history and literature accessible to all Americans had to give up their anniversary planning when DOGE pulled their fed funding. By the time Elon Musk walked away from DOGE last year, state humanities councils were left with just enough cash to keep them from going under.” … “Then, the Trump admin redirected tens of millions of dollars from the DOGE cuts toward the president’s plans for a triumphal arch and a statuary garden of ‘American heroes’ in DC. In the end, Trump’s focus on the nation’s landmark birthday made it harder for local groups across the country to plan their own celebratory projects.” … Immigration lawyer Aaron Reichlin-Melnick on last night’s World Cup game: “Flo Balogun, who just scored the game-leading goal for the US Men’s National Team, was only born here because his mother’s airline wouldn’t fly her home to London at 7 months pregnant. She was on a tourist visa. Because her son is a US citizen by birth, we won.” … UN Ambassador Matt Whitaker talked about visitors to the US for the World Cup on Fox: “People are enjoying the USA because it’s an awesome place. We have extraordinary things like Buc-ee’s and Chick-fil-A - very convenient to eat in your car while you’re having a phone call. It’s an amazing country.” … CNBC: “The US economy saw job creation cool sharply heading into the summer. Nonfarm payrolls for June increased by a seasonally adjusted 57,000 for the month, slower than the downwardly revised 129,000 added in May and worse than the 115,000 Dow Jones consensus forecast.” … Fox host Maria Bartiromo: “We came in underneath expectations. I’m a little disappointed in this, frankly.” … Economist Heather Long: “A disappointing jobs report. 57,000 jobs added (vs. 115k expected). Negative revisions for April & May. 4.2% unemployment rate, but mainly due to a big decline in the labor force. It’s still tough to get a job outside of healthcare or professional services. Hospitality shed 61,000 jobs. Inflation (4%) is wiping out wage gains (3.5%). Bottom line: The June jobs report is great for the Fed Reserve, but it’s disappointing for the rest of America.” … Reuters: “Ahead of Independence Day on July 4, a major holiday for grilling, the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute estimated the cost of a summer barbecue for 10 people will rise by 2.4% from last year to $161, with hamburger beef up 14%. The avg retail price of one pound of lean and extra lean ground beef hit a record $8.62 in May, up more than 12% from a year earlier.” … Fox did segments nonstop on the current heat wave, which mostly focused on Zohran Mamdami’s REQUEST for people in NYC to keep their thermostats at 78 to conserve energy, which they claimed was “communist” despite the fact that multiple Republican states have made the same requests repeatedly over the years. … Sen. Ted Cruz: “In a first world country, you can turn on the AC.” … Cruz’s post mocking Mamdani was hit with a fact-check Community Note: “Ted Cruz’s own state has made the same request on numerous occasions.” … Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Fox: “If we had President Harris right now, we’d be dealing with blackouts and massive economic disruption because they would’ve continued to close all the coal plants. Biden’s goal for the US was to be France - tear everyone’s air conditioners out.” … Fox host Kayleigh McEnany: “So, the Dept of Energy does recommend during the summer to keep your AC at 75-78 degrees. Eric Adams, who preceded Mamdani, recommended that as well.” … David Wells with NYT Mag, hours later: “The Dept of Energy appears to have deleted its thermostat-level recommendations to avoid people noticing that their generic recommendation was to set indoor temperatures at the same level which Zohran has asked New Yorkers to maintain during a grid-stressing heatwave.” … Sen. John Fetterman had another eloquent appearance on Fox talking about DSA candidates winning primaries: “What I am saying is like, as a Democrat, you know, I will absolutely call this out - who they are, you know, like, I would never pretend to say anything good about any of this new crop of people that are coming into congress so I refuse to do that. Why can’t you just say that? You know every time you tell voters to say oh it’s ok, no problem here, no problem here, people—people though they have eyes, they have ears, they’re appalled by it to across you know people then you lose your credibility. So, so, that’s, that’s the way every Democrat should. We should poli—we should poli—we should police our own ranks right now and say look, you know this is a not a big tent kind of situation. These are people that have intensely extreme anti-American kinds of of of views. And now, you seen the new polls. You know, 45% of Democrats are only proud to be American. You know.” … Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI): "For the people in our country who want to turn this country into a communist country - leave. Go to Europe where they are experiencing this heat wave and they don't have air conditioning. See how well that works for you. I'm proud to be an American." … Punchbowl: “Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), who received a terminal diagnosis, hasn't voted since June 11. His office told me he will only be voting if Republican leadership needs him to because he hasn't been feeling well physically.” … Trump claimed in a Truth Social post weeks ago that he referred Dunn to a special doctor and he was experiencing a miracle recovery. Maybe that’s not the case. … NOTUS: “Democratic frustration with Chuck Schumer goes far beyond Maine. The longtime Democratic leader, acting through the DSCC, has struggled to navigate a series of tumultuous primaries, beset by an angry base of voters, insurgent candidates and party officials who complain that he’s alternately done too little or too much to influence races.” … “The result has been the messiest collection of Democratic primaries in decades. The Senate minority leader faces another fraught primary in MI in Aug, where a Schumer-backed candidate is struggling to best lefty favorite Abdul El-Sayed. The DSCC tried and failed to hold off a third candidate, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, mirroring the scramble - and ultimately the failure - to shape the primary in Maine.” … The tumult has amounted to a stunning rebuke of Schumer, who is seen by many Democrats as having controlled most primaries in battleground states with an iron grip for the last decade. El-Sayed: “The thing about iron is it rusts. I’m proud to be the only candidate in my race that the Senate minority leader has said that he would not be OK with.” … “Schumer has succeeded in getting his favorites in some states, including former Gov. Roy Cooper in NC, former Rep. Mary Peltola in AK and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in OH. Schumer’s preferred candidate in IA, state Rep. Josh Turek, emerged from a hotly contested primary, but pro-Turek allies had to pump $10 million into the race to get him through it.” … Fox: “The race to succeed Iowa’s retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is on track to be one of the closest Senate contests in 2026. Ernst, the first woman senator to represent the Hawkeye State, won by 6.5 points in 2020, and Trump carried it by 8 points that year and by 13 in 2024.” … “A new statewide Fox News survey finds Iowans now view Trump negatively by 13 points (42% favorable vs. 55% unfavorable). That’s a 19-point swing compared to his +6 rating (52-46%) in the Nov 2024 Iowa Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.” … “The last time IA elected a Democratic senator was Tom Harkin nearly 20 years ago (2008). As it stands, Democrat Josh Turek has an early 4-point advantage over Republican Ashley Hinson: 50-46%. Among voters who say they are extremely motivated to vote, Turek holds a 15-point lead, coming largely from greater enthusiasm among Democrats (67% extremely motivated) than Republicans (53%).” … Politico: “The progressive Democrats who won their congressional primaries in NYC could have very short tenures in Congress if they are elected, as redistricting comes into play. Hakeem Jeffries is aiming to redraw NY’s congressional districts in 2028 to add more potential Democrat seats, and any redraw could impact districts represented by far-left lawmakers or sought by the party’s newer nominees.” … “NY has an amendment on the ballot for voters to approve whether to redraw its maps. A proposed redistricting map from 2022 provides a peek at how Democrats believed they could maximize gains in Congress throughout the state. In NYC, that meant dramatic changes to two districts won by leftist challengers last week.” … “The home turf of Brad Lander, a progressive who defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in Brooklyn and Manhattan, would have been drawn into a district encompassing deep-red Staten Island in a bid to oust Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. And the district won in a landslide by Assemblymember Claire Valdez, a member of the DSA, would have had the northern part of her highly educated, affluent base along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront lopped off.” … “Jeffries has not said publicly how he plans to redraw NY’s maps, but he has been adamant about using redistricting to counter Republican-led redistricting efforts.” … MS NOW: “The FBI is surging resources into what it calls a ‘priority’ investigation related to the 2020 election in GA - an extraordinary effort to find nonexistent evidence to support Trump's election lies. Documents show that FBI leadership is authorizing intelligence analysts to work overtime, including weekends and holidays, on the case. And they show that Kash Patel is ordering personnel from all field offices to participate.” … Marge Greene said on Piers Morgan’s show that she is working on starting a new 3rd Party: “I think there’s a group of us that if we decide to align, we could launch a true America-focused party that doesn’t fall into the traps of Democrats or Republicans, but could align some serious players from the right and the left.” … Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL): “We are coming up on America’s 250th birthday, and we have feckless leadership in the Senate refusing to pass the SAVE Act. Should I also mention there are members in my own chamber who are more concerned about putting Senators in a ‘tough spot’ on the NDAA than passing SAVE. Did you not all run on this and promise this to your voters?” … “Don’t worry. Even though some of you are making comments about me in the press, I won’t respond back with your incredibly brilliant stock trades that smell like insider trading, especially given your committees of jurisdiction. It’s okay, the American people will do that for me. “ … “So yes, 1,000%, the rule will go down until you attach the SAVE Act. I don’t care who in this chamber hates me for it. I don’t work for you. I don’t work for Washington. I work for the American people. It’s time the House force the senate to do their jobs. Failure is not an option.”