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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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 freelance writer who has spent nine years as a syndicated columnist, co-writing the RedBlueAmerica column as the liberal half of a point-counterpoint duo. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic, The Kansas City Star and Heatmap News. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 5, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - annoying noises, gag orders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 highly educational cartoons about student protests
Cartoons Artists take on apolitical camping, the National Guard, and more
By The Week US Published
-
French schools and the scourge of teenage violence
Talking Point Gabriel Attal announces 'bold' intervention to tackle rise in violent incidents
By The Week UK Published
-
'A financial windfall for Iranian terrorism'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Box Trump in for real if he pulls another stunt. Put him behind bars.'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Can we — the people who have bought so much already — really keep buying more?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Net neutrality is back. And so is the battle over it.
Talking Point Old internet rules are being reinstated, but the internet has changed since last time
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Presidential debates are more performance art than actual ways to inform'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Trump, DeSantis meet for first time since primary
Speed Read The former president and the Florida governor have seemingly mended their rivalry
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Justices set to punt on Trump immunity case
Speed Read Conservative justices signaled support for Trump's protection from criminal charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published