Card 37: Corruption

Government Corruption Has Spiraled Out of Control.

Since taking office in 2025, Trump and his administration have been openly corrupt, stealing taxpayers’ dollars and foreign leaders’ gifts from YOU. It’s important to know what has been stolen and the rules: the U.S. President can accept foreign gifts but cannot keep them for personal use. According to the Foreign Emoluments Clause and the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, such gifts belong to the American people.

Before Trump’s inauguration, the United Arab Emirates invested $2 billion in his cryptocurrency venture. After Qatar gave Trump a $400 million airplane as a personal “gift,” taxpayers had to spend $1 billion on security upgrades for a plane that will go with him when he leaves office.

Seized Venezuelan oil proceeds are held in a private account controlled by Trump. This blatant pay-to-play continues.

Trump’s schemes involve costly vanity projects funded by our taxpayer dollars. Excluding the $1 billion White House ballroom, major projects total $162.5 million, though many are over budget and costs may rise. These include:

• The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: $13.1 million
• Triumphal Arch: $100 million
• Eisenhower Executive Office Building: $7.5 million
• National Garden of American Heroes: $40 million
• Rose Garden: $1.9 million

Hundreds of millions of dollars in no-bid contracts are awarded to Trump-affiliated companies for these and other government projects, bypassing the proper legal process of putting them out to bid.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in July 2025, slashes $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP, reduces Medicare payments, and favors billionaires and corporations. The money we paid in taxes is being stolen from us and given to billionaires instead of going toward healthcare and food for low-income Americans. Does this seem right?

The open theft of our money is staggering.

Meanwhile, Congress remains silent as Trump and his allies continue to loot the system. This unchecked corruption, enabled by the collapse of oversight and checks and balances, threatens the very democracy we cherish.

WE MUST ACT NOW.

Call your Senators and Representatives at 202-224-3121—especially Republicans—and demand they pass legislation to end corruption. With elections near, hold every candidate accountable for reclaiming our stolen money.

Make fighting corruption a voting issue.

Use vote.org to ensure you and everyone you know are registered and ready to make change happen.