Happy Birthday, Mr. President: Trump and Cronies Get Rich While Working Families Struggle to Stay Afloat
New analysis from Groundwork Collaborative and American Economic Liberties Project outlines how Trump and his cronies have used White House to make a buck, driving up costs for consumers
In his second term in office, Trump has run the federal government like a family business. Though he promised to lower costs for Americans on “day one,” Trump has instead dealt handouts to his immediate family, friends, and allied business interests at the expense of taxpayers, while simultaneously rolling back consumer protections and dismantling entire agencies tasked with corporate oversight. New analysis from Groundwork and AELP reveals a mere sampling of the many ways Trump’s wheeling and dealing has ripped off working families that are ripe for further investigation.
The report comes on the heels of new polling from Groundwork and Data for Progress which finds that over half of all respondents (52%) say Trump is more corrupt than the typical politician, while two-thirds (66%) believe that he has used the power of the presidency to benefit himself, his family, and his political allies. Despite From his brazen quid pro quo international trade strategy to his gilded office, Trump’s sole interest is enriching himself, his family, and his wealthiest donors.
Groundwork’s Senior Fellow, Molly Claflin, shared her reaction:
“As working families buckle under the weight of Trump’s high prices, the president is further driving up costs by abusing his position to direct taxpayer-funded kickbacks to his family and political allies. His erratic policymaking is making daily life more expensive. Americans know they’re being ripped off and are demanding accountability.”
Morgan Harper, AELP’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
“Voters know this administration has turned the federal government into a grift for consolidating wealth among Trump’s family, his allies, and the biggest corporations, at the expense of working families and small businesses. The rule of law should apply to everyone, and this fact sheet is a reminder that we cannot afford to look away or pretend that any of this is normal. The country is not Trump’s to liquidate.”
Click here to read the full fact sheet from Groundwork Collaborative and Economic Liberties.
Background:
The Trump administration has put personal and corporate donor profits ahead of the needs of working Americans – and families are paying the price.
- Trump and congressional Republicans slashed Medicaid and failed to renew health care tax credits in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations – including some of his donors.
- Trump killed IRS Direct File, a tax filing lifeline for many Americans, to protect profit for TurboTax’s corporate parent, Intuit, which donated $1 million to the president’s inauguration.
From data centers to pardons, Trump puts the White House up for sale to the highest bidder.
- Trump and his administration negotiated tariff deals with corporate executives and foreign governments that funded his pet projects, all while enriching him and his family.
- On Liberation Day 2025, Trump imposed a 46% tariff on Vietnam, one of the highest rates for any country, but just three months later, Trump agreed to lower the country’s tariff rate by 26%.
- Perhaps not coincidentally, early on in the tariff negotiations, Vietnamese officials agreed to fast-tracked construction permits for a Trump golf complex – and an approval process that would normally take years took only three months.
- Trump encouraged AI data center expansion and natural gas production to line the pockets of his corporate donors, at the expense of ratepayers who have seen utility bills balloon during his second term in office.
- Venture Global donated $1 million to President Trump’s inauguration and was later granted a natural gas export license from the Department of Energy.
- The CEO of Energy Transfer Partner, Kelcy Warren, donated $25 million to the main super PAC supporting President Trump while personally contributing $5 million to his campaign. Energy Transfer later received a three-year extension for a natural gas project, after which Warren’s wealth rose by nearly 10%.
- Trump’s pardons in cases involving public programs, government contracts, tax fraud, and Medicare and Medicaid fraud have caused Americans to lose out on $2 billion in repayment and taxpayer recovery.
- Many of Trump’s pardons have been issued to people connected to his own family – or to those who have hired million-dollar lobbyists.
The president looks the other way on corporate misdeeds – as long as he and his billionaire buddies get a cut.
- On the heels of Trump’s war in Iran, oil and gas CEOs are using the instability in the Middle East to drive up prices at the pump for consumers.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth encouraged Trump to pursue military action while his investment advisor reportedly sought to buy stock in defense manufacturers.
- Trump installed a former airline lobbyist as Transportation Secretary, opening the door to brazen industry kickbacks and rollbacks of critical consumer protections.
- The administration canceled plans to compensate passengers for significant flight delays or cancellations.
- Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy waived $11 million in fines against Southwest Airlines over mishandling nearly 17,000 flight cancellations around Christmas.
- The Trump administration has enabled corporate harm to consumers in exchange for donations.
- More than 170 enforcement actions against corporations across the economy were canceled or frozen, while multiple agencies responsible for oversight and investigation of those cases are being dismantled.
- While his administration pulls away from oversight and enforcement of crypto fraud and prediction market regulations, the Trump family has personally netted at least $1.4 billion from crypto schemes.
