The Trump scandals we don't know about


Donald Trump was plenty terrible in public. The ex-president was a grifter and a troll, a race-baiter who shrugged off his responsibilities during the worst national emergency in a generation and incited a riot on his way out the door — and he did all these things out in the open.
In the years and decades to come, though, we're likely to find out his presidency was even worse than we thought.
Proof of that comes from a new New York Times report, which details how Trump's Justice Department subpoenaed Apple for the communications data of at least two Democratic congressmen — Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both of California — as well as aides and family members of people connected with the House Intelligence Committee. Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and William Barr both oversaw the efforts, part of an investigation into leaks of classified information.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"In combination with former President Trump's unmistakable vendetta against Congressman Schiff, it raises serious questions about whether the manner in which this investigation was conducted was influenced by political considerations rather than purely legal ones," said one official who worked on the investigations.
We're going to hear more stories like these. After President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 as a result of the Watergate scandal, startling new stories emerged for years afterward — in 1999, for example, hundreds of hours of tapes detailing Nixon's routine-but-virulent anti-Semitism were made public. In 2002, more tapes detailed how he had proposed using nuclear weapons during the Vietnam War. Trump almost certainly has similar skeletons rattling around in his presidential closet. (Heck, some of the same characters are prominent in both men's stories.)
There is one difference. Watergate ended Richard Nixon's time as a political force. Trump, meanwhile, is still a player — and heads a political party that has chosen to bend itself to his will. Which means forthcoming revelations about the terrible things that the ex-president and his allies got up to won't just be astonishing tales from recent history: They'll be a warning sign of what Americans can expect if the Republican Party continues on its present course.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
RFK Jr.'s focus on autism draws the ire of researchers
In the Spotlight Many of Kennedy's assertions have been condemned by experts and advocates
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
Protein obsession is oversaturating the health food space
Under the Radar Some experts say that fiber is now the most important macro to focus on
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Codeword: April 23, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Climate: Trump's attempt to bring back coal
Feature Trump rolls back climate policies with executive orders aimed at reviving the coal industry
By The Week US
-
Trump's budget: Gutting Medicaid to pass tax cuts?
Feature To extend Trump's tax cuts, the GOP is looking to cut Medicaid and other assistance programs
By The Week US
-
Trump tariffs place trucking industry in the crosshairs
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the White House barrels ahead with its massive tariff project, American truckers are feeling the heat from a global trade war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Corruption: The road to crony capitalism
Feature Trump's tariff pause sent the stock market soaring — was it insider trading?
By The Week US
-
How 'China shock 2.0' will roil global markets
Feature An overflow of Chinese goods is flooding the global market. Tariffs won’t stop it.
By The Week US
-
Retribution: Trump calls for prosecution of critics
Feature Trump targets former officials who spoke out against him, sending a warning to future whistleblowers
By The Week US
-
El Salvador's CECOT prison becomes Washington's go-to destination
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republicans and Democrats alike are clamoring for access to the Trump administration's extrajudicial deportation camp — for very different reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US