Guardian opinion piece describes Trump corruption actions and impunity concerns
The Story
A Guardian opinion piece by Judith Levine, published May 27, 2026, describes a series of actions by Donald Trump that the author characterizes as corruption and impunity. The article reports that Trump has sued and then settled with the IRS for a $1.776bn fund, demolished part of the White House for a private ballroom, and claimed a triumphal arch does not need congressional approval.
Key Facts
- In October (year unspecified), Trump considered renewing claims for $230m in compensation for federal investigations, saying “It sort of looks bad, I’m suing myself, right?”
- That month, he demolished the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, vowing the $400m project would be privately funded.
- The article states a third attempt on the president’s life and a shooting near the White House led Trump to recast ballroom construction as critical national security infrastructure, requiring $1bn in public money; Republicans stripped that item from a homeland security appropriations bill.
- Trump sued the IRS for $10bn over alleged negligence in guarding his tax returns, then dropped the suit in return for a $1.776bn slush fund to repay his friends, possibly including January 6 insurrectionists.
- A memo from acting attorney general Todd Blanche waives all pending liabilities including $100m in potential tax penalties and bars future actions against Trump by the IRS or other agencies.
- In 2024, the Supreme Court granted the president “presumptive immunity” from criminal prosecution for executive duties.
- Trump declared his triumphal arch in Washington does not require congressional authorization because Congress signed off on an arch in 1925.
- A veterans’ group is suing to stop the arch construction; Trump responded “You’ve gotta be kidding.”
- The New York Times called Trump’s slush fund “highly unusual”; PBS reported it as “unprecedented.”
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
- The specific year of the October events is not provided.
- It is unclear how the $1.776bn fund would be stopped, according to Lawfare analysts Anna Bower and Eric Columbus cited in the article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Donald Trump
- Todd Blanche, acting attorney general
- Anna Bower and Eric Columbus, legal analysts for Lawfare
- Judith Levine, author and journalist
- Mara Van Der Lugt, University of St Andrews philosopher
- M Gessen, Russian émigré journalist
- The New York Times and PBS (as cited outlets)
Sources: The Guardian
