David Frum: Trump Made BILLIONS in Office – The Most Corrupt Politician Ever?
Thu Feb 05 2026
The Atlantic's David Frum returns to discuss Donald Trump's second term one year in.
From making $1-4 billion through family enrichment and foreign deals (including Abu Dhabi investments tied to national security favors), to unprecedented corruption on a scale never seen in American history, Frum argues Trump has turned the presidency into a personal ATM — dwarfing petty scandals like Hunter Biden's.
We dive into why corruption is an underrated story, the collapse of checks and balances, Supreme Court impunity, tariff-driven price hikes, the Epstein fallout shattering Trump's myth for some supporters, ICE controversies including the Minneapolis shootings, cracks in Trump's coalition (from Thomas Massie to far-right figures), JD Vance's risky plays, Kamala Harris's future, and threats to 2026/2028 elections via voter intimidation.
Frum warns of kleptocracy risks, national security betrayals, and why Trump's betrayal of core conservative values (like guns) could be fatal to his movement.
And that's just for starters. This is a must-listen for anyone tracking Trump's impact on democracy.
Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.
Buy Matt's books: FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937
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The Atlantic's David Frum returns to discuss Donald Trump's second term one year in. From making $1-4 billion through family enrichment and foreign deals (including Abu Dhabi investments tied to national security favors), to unprecedented corruption on a scale never seen in American history, Frum argues Trump has turned the presidency into a personal ATM — dwarfing petty scandals like Hunter Biden's. We dive into why corruption is an underrated story, the collapse of checks and balances, Supreme Court impunity, tariff-driven price hikes, the Epstein fallout shattering Trump's myth for some supporters, ICE controversies including the Minneapolis shootings, cracks in Trump's coalition (from Thomas Massie to far-right figures), JD Vance's risky plays, Kamala Harris's future, and threats to 2026/2028 elections via voter intimidation. Frum warns of kleptocracy risks, national security betrayals, and why Trump's betrayal of core conservative values (like guns) could be fatal to his movement. And that's just for starters. This is a must-listen for anyone tracking Trump's impact on democracy. Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians. Buy Matt's books: FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937 Copyright © 2025, BBL & BWL, LLC