Retired_EngineerMar 29, 2025
BrianKrebs

Another thing nobody is really talking about but which would have been a scandal in the last administration is the degree to which almost all of the people in Trump cabinet or DOGE are still working at their private sector jobs. There is zero expectation by this White House that people should not compromise the integrity of the office by creating a conflict of interest. Somehow this has already become normalized.

Even if we ignore all the illegal and unconstitutional actions by the president so far, this cabinet and administration is by far and away the most corrupt and compromised because of it.

Mar 20, 2025 at 6:07pmWeb
Show threadRiley S. FaelanMar 20, 2025
@briankrebs The "somehow" is, the GOPniks make a demonstrative sneer and pretend the question is stupid every time a journalist dares to ask it, and too many journalists see this and think that this is a good lesson to learn, and not ask again.
Show threadSeán FenianMar 20, 2025
@briankrebs The one bright side of this is that if we somehow make it through this crisis with an intact and recognizable nation remaining, it just might be the size 14 boot up the ass that the US needs to say "This can't go on, we have got to get the corruption and dark money out of our government."
Show threadJhooperMar 20, 2025
@zakalwe @briankrebs It didn't work after the first Trump administration, why would it work now?
Show threadSeán FenianMar 20, 2025
@jhooper @briankrebs By comparison, round 1 was almost benign.
Show threadJhooperMar 20, 2025
@zakalwe @briankrebs yeah, but if you get your news from traditional sources, you won't necessarily know that.
Show threadSeán FenianMar 20, 2025
@jhooper @briankrebs Point.
Show threadFuzedMar 20, 2025
@zakalwe @briankrebs I fear that will happen only if it gets bad enough for people to notice. I mean if it affects their checkbook or their health or safety
Show threadSeán FenianMar 20, 2025
@Fuzed @briankrebs Yeah, I agree. The US has an incredibly huge Somebody Else's Problem problem.
Show threadSzymon Sokół 🇵🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦Mar 20, 2025
@zakalwe @briankrebs do you see any scenario (not involving aliens or Divine intervention) in which America (and, for that matter, the rest of the world) survives this? It is not a "crisis", it is an actual Armageddon.
Show threadSeán FenianMar 20, 2025
@blotosmetek @briankrebs The world, yes. Europe is stepping up HARD to the plate.

The United States? I don't know. But it feels as though it is running out of time, and I'm not sure we'll recognize what is left when the dust settles.

Armageddon is, of course, exactly what the evangelical right wants, because they implicitly believe as a matter of faith that Armageddon means their Rapture (which they made up out of whole cloth), in which they all get to ascend en masse in corporeal form directly to Heaven without the inconvenience of dying first.
Show threadChristopher BrownMar 20, 2025
@briankrebs Intentionally so.
Show threadSvenja TionellMar 20, 2025
Normalization is the most important part for fascism
Show threadGerrit 🇪🇺🌍🍉🔻Mar 20, 2025

@briankrebs

Makes sense, because conceptually for them the government has become a private sector enterprise.

A private security and incarceration company in the main. Also a money falsifier business and Ponzi scheme templating machine. Internally there is the "insurance" business (nice company you have there, would be a shame if it was suddenly under attention of the DOJ wouldn't it)

With some foreign shake down operations and business relations with other maffia clans.

Show threadRADman11Mar 20, 2025

@briankrebs A fascist compromising their governmental office by creating a conflict of interest through self interested commercialization.

Pretty sure that's not even possible. Let's call it the trumpian paradox.

Show threadMartin SeegerMar 20, 2025
@briankrebs The corruption is intended, no side effect…
Show threadTristan Colgate-McFarlaneMar 20, 2025
@briankrebs what about the paid dinners? The meme coins? The undivested businesses? The tax returns? Sprooking shares? Car sales? Sudden need for starlink everywhere?
Pandora's box is open, and this is what your government looks like now.
Pandora's box is opened, and the deamons are running free.
Show threadbjb  Mar 20, 2025
@tmcfarlane @briankrebs
At what point will the people who voted for Trump notice that the swamp is vastly bigger and more dangerous than it was before he and pals took office?
Show threadOGJester has movedMar 20, 2025
@briankrebs Getting away cleanly with J6 taught them (and us) that nothing matters.
Show threadil fabbroMar 20, 2025

@briankrebs

I read that the Secretary of Tresure asked to buy tesla share at stock exchange... so we are pretty further then a simple conflict of interest...

Show threadmk30Mar 21, 2025
@briankrebs @FantasticalEconomics there is no conflict of interest! All the interests align lol.
Show threadRevPudDudleyMar 22, 2025
@briankrebs I'm waiting for some stern action about the Old Post Office, "Trump Int'l Hotel", world capital of corruption, where no Fed official was supposed to be making money, per the lease
Oh yeah & his eternal IRS audit, let's have that too.
You know, Gitmo is probably just right for the whole gang of them