Trump's White House Ballroom Is Being Bankrolled by Genocide and ICE Profiteers

"Money has always distorted U.S. politics, but the current Trump regime has entered new territory with an unabashed pay-to-play setup that's stuffing the president's political coffers while enriching him and his family. Donald Trump's coldly transactional dealings have been on full display as he's tapped billionaire allies and major corporations to shower his administration with donations to pay for his latest vanity project: a 90,000-square-foot, $300 million ballroom set to be erected over the rubble of the White House's now-demolished East Wing."

"Trump has wined and dineddozens of corporate executives and mega-billionaires across industries, from cryptocurrency to fossil fuels and telecoms to tech, as he's solicited donations for the ballroom. Many corporate donors have been disclosed; others have sought to remain hidden. For all, the game is clear. Many donors have direct business interests that Trump's decisions will impact. Together, the ballroom donors benefit from at least $279 billion in federal contracts."

"What's less apparent is that key donors are paying for Trump's ballroom with profits culled from enabling the detention and deportation machinery of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Israel's apparatus of occupation and genocide against Palestinians. Other donors are among the most powerful Wall Street firms and their billionaire executives that are directly benefiting from Trump's imperial posturing and his deregulatory agenda that's opening up the retirement funds of tens of millions of workers to private equity profiteers."

Money has long distorted U.S. politics, and the Trump administration has escalated to an explicit pay-to-play model financing a proposed 90,000-square-foot, $300 million White House ballroom. Trump solicited donations from billionaires and major corporations across cryptocurrency, fossil fuels, telecoms, and tech, hosting executives to raise funds. Many donors hold direct business interests affected by presidential decisions and collectively receive at least $279 billion in federal contracts. Some donor profits derive from enabling ICE detention and deportation and from supporting Israel's occupation-related systems. Wall Street firms and billionaire executives benefit from deregulatory moves that open retirement funds to private equity.

Read at Truthout