Surviving Trump: Your Essential Guide to His Second Term
Navigating the chaos of today’s politics can be overwhelming —this show helps make sense of it all. In about 30 minutes each week, host Bella Goode breaks down the players, policies, and threats facing democracy — in plain language and straight talk. Your crash course in today’s politics
Surviving Trump: Your Essential Guide to His Second Term
Episode 39: Corruption: A Presidency for Sale
In this episode, Bella Goode traces how Donald Trump didn’t just dip into corruption—he turned the presidency into a personal business empire. By comparing his actions to past scandals like Watergate and Teapot Dome, we see just how far Trump has pushed the boundaries of ethics, law, and public trust. From meme coins and luxury jets to regulatory rollbacks and foreign gifts, this episode breaks down the machinery of self-enrichment that defines Trump’s presidency. This isn’t just corruption. It’s a system. And it’s changing the American presidency forever.
Key Takeaways To Listen For
- How Trump monetized political access through crypto dinners, executive club memberships, and branded merchandise
- The launch of meme coins and stablecoins backed by foreign investment and the regulatory rollbacks that enabled them
- Why Trump’s $16M settlement from Paramount over a “baseless” lawsuit is being called a bribe tied to an $8B merger
- The ethical collapse of oversight: Small-dollar PAC donations used to fund Trump’s legal fees, while pardons went to political allies and investors
- A historical comparison of presidential corruption and how Trump’s conduct marks a sharp and dangerous break from past norms
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
- Reuters
- Politico
- ProPublica
- Bloomberg
- The Washington Post
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Inc.
- World Liberty Financial
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) | USAGov
- Federal Communications Commission
Join the Community
Subscribe to Surviving Trump on Substack to keep me churning. substack.com/bell
Host: Bella Goode
Bella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned democracy advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics.
I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy.
Community :
- Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts – Your feedback helps us reach more people. Click to review.
- Follow my blog on Substack bellagoodepodcast.substack.com
- Join the conversation on Bluesky – Find me at @survivingtrump.bsky.social
- Follow on X (Twitter): x.com/bella_good3658
- Share this episode – If you found this podcast valuable, send it to a friend and tag us on social media.
- Contact me at ...