It is hard to be on left-leaning social media and not hear the panic screams directed at Congressional Democrats for not “doing something” amidst the chaos and corruption bursting forth from the reactor breach within the administration. As for actually stopping or holding up the legislation powering through all three MAGA branches, one can somewhat sympathize with Democratic pols, given how little they can do under our form of government.
But Democrats can and must fire back when holding the floor in oversight, especially during committee hearings going out to screens everywhere. And on that issue, we see signs of life — and none too soon.
This administration’s flaunting of its breathtaking corruption continues to poison the nation’s foundation, and if Democrats lack the power to arrest right now, at least establish a record, something on which to build, a message, and thus the movement to stop it. History gets recorded moment to moment, and this administration bets that no one has a moment to spare to stop them.
Seen from afar, perhaps Trump and Co. have read it right; the country’s incuriosity over the corruption is stupefying. One of this regime’s only true successes is fully absorbing the maxim about the cover-up being bigger than the crime. The guy who could shoot somebody on Fifth Ave. and not lose a vote will have to just hire someone to do it because his time is dedicated to the floor of the NYSE, using inside information, indeed creating the information hour to hour, to profit off the latest developments.
No deep throat “follow the money.” No — just follow the news.
Senator Professor Elizabeth Warren has had it and took Treasury Secretary and hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to the shed over Trump’s day trading, noting that any private entity with such success and activity would have regulators knocking at the door with warrants. Instead, Bessent got Warren, wondering how the hell this happens right in front of us. Bessent had nothing because there’s nothing to be had, only retorting that Congress should “get its house in order first,” as if A.) It’s his job to tell Congress what to do B.) Congress being almost as bad somehow gives Trump a license to commit crime in daylight, and C.) any self-respecting government couldn’t do both.
Over in the House came the hopelessly inept and one of the uniquely dull members of the Cabinet, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who got his Okie handed to him by Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA). Mullin apparently believes that DHS is a part-time position he can do primarily working out of his house, jetting back and forth to Washington twice weekly after making sure everything’s okay in Oklahoma rather than, literally, “everywhere else.”
It is right there. Trump making millions, Mullin jetting around in Kristi Noem’s jet, doing whatever one does in bed 35,000 feet over the country, working on a COVID schedule rather than planning for the next pandemic. Whatever is to come of it is up to the country, whether we even care enough anymore, remains to be established; what’s up to the Dems is making sure that it’s at least known, addressed, and fought against.
So fight they do. (And, please, remember this particular moment, because when Hurricane “Macho” hits Houston with 145 mph winds this summer, bringing millions of people’s lives to a standstill, requiring a herculean effort from, well, literally everywhere else, remember if Mullin seemed at all “engaged” about whether his Department remained secure, never mind the nation’s security.)
Yes, when conditions crater all around, screaming at your Democrats to “do something” is as much a cry for help as it is an instruction, never mind insurrection. But we shouldn’t take for granted these days, the ones that quickly constitute the history of this regime, that someone took the flag and demanded answers, accountability, something.
As for Trump, Bessent, Mullin, the entire lot of them. They must see a nation of suckers. There’s nearly no other explanation as to how Trump can trade seven-figure NVIDIA stock in the same week he opens China to their chips. Instead of shooting someone on the street, Trump took the gun to the bank and simply walked out with a bag. Money doesn’t create itself out of thin air; there are victims. Trump bought that stock from someone who thought it more likely to go down, given everything known at the time, the seller not knowing what Trump did, that he alone was about to improve NVIDIA’s fortunes. Get invested, so to speak.
It’s just all so awful. But we need so much more of this. The statute of limitations for most federal crimes is five years, and whether anyone will ever be fully held accountable depends greatly on where our priorities go as history unfolds from here, moment to moment — at least Democrats appeared to capture this one.
Jason Miciak is a Rawstory Columnist and former Editor at Occupy Democrats, an author, political consultant, attorney, and single parent girldad. Follow on Bluesky and can be reached at [email protected].
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