Richard Hogan: The biggest grift in history is underway — Everything is for sale

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. Picture: AP/Mark Schiefelbein.

In Shakespeare's King Lear, forces of darkness almost prevail. The speed with which goodness recedes is a terrifying message to us all. 

Shakespeare is telling us that evil is a powerful force — and sometimes, goodness can be all but obliterated. Almost.

One of the most fascinating scenes in this grim play about pride and power is when a servant steps out of the shadows to protect an old man, as his eyes are being gouged out for fun. 

It’s a sudden reminder that goodness is resolute — it can be pushed to the brink, but never defeated.

Lately, it’s hard to hold on to that idea. Especially when we hear reports that an Israeli strike on Gaza hit the home of a doctor, killing nine of her 10 children in the city of Khan. 

When we hear that Donald Trump is busy making deals — not to save innocent lives in Gaza or Ukraine, or to ease the burden of the average American struggling to pay for their sick child — but to bolster his own wealth, and the wealth of his billionaire friends, it can feel like goodness is gone. The world feels precarious. Democracy is buckling. 

The very structures of the US senate and congress — designed to protect against a power-mad Ozymandias-type figure — are also under pressure. We’re all watching to see if they hold.

The last 100 days have been among the most profitable in Mr Trump’s long life. And it’s not even sleight-of-hand, it’s happening in plain sight, without shame.

The wealth of his friends has soared since election day. Bernie Sanders recently spelled it out: “Musk has become $138bn richer, Zuckerberg $49bn richer, Bezos $28bn richer since election day. Meanwhile, 60% of Americans live pay cheque to pay cheque … We have the highest rate of childhood poverty anywhere on Earth.”

When Tesla stock was in freefall, Trump turned the White House lawn into a used car lot.

He stood beside a bright red Tesla with Elon Musk and told the world he’d just bought it, and that it was “all computer.”

Of course, in classic Trump fashion, he got the name wrong — calling it a “Tesler.” You couldn’t make it up.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomes President Donald Trump during an official welcoming ceremony at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Picture: AP/Alex Brandon.

The price for that little stunt? Musk invested $100m in Trump’s political operation — one of the largest donations in US history.

Easy money, if you don’t care about ethics or reputation. But draining the swamp is hard when you’re standing in the plughole.

Is the presidency of the United States for sale? It certainly seems that way. Everything Trump does has a price tag. Tariffs are being used to boost Musk’s Starlink business. 

A leaked internal state department memo from the Lesotho government laid bare the murky dealings: “As the government of Lesotho negotiates a trade deal with the United States, it hopes that licensing Starlink demonstrates goodwill and a willingness to welcome US business.” 

Translation: if you want out from under a tariff, buy my friend’s product. The old pay-to-play ruse. Grotesque.

Amazon’s new documentary on first lady Melania Trump? It reportedly cost $40m. A drop in the ocean when you’ve just made $28bn. Don Jr’s new “Executive Branch” club in Washington, DC, starting price for entry? $500,000. 

If you want even a whiff of access to the president or his circle, it’ll cost you. And it’ll cost you big.

Trump’s recent trip to the Middle East conveniently aligned with several personal business ventures: an exclusive hotel in Dubai, a $5.5bn golf course deal in Qatar. The Trump family is set to make hundreds of millions from these.

The problem? Qatar DR is owned by the Qatari government. The president is doing private business with a foreign state. They even threw in a $400m luxury jet. Just because.

President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. Picture: AP/Evan Vucci.

Imagine any other president accepting a gift like that.

When a journalist questioned the ethics of such gifts in the Oval Office, Trump exploded.

“You don’t have what it takes to be a reporter,” he said.

“You’re not smart enough … you ought to get out of here … you are a disgrace. No more questions from you… fake news from this jerk.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, seated beside him, attempted to lighten the moment by joking, “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you.”

That line said it all. The international community sees this president for what he is: easily bought — but not cheaply.

The whole thing is farcical. And it might even be laughable, if wars weren’t raging — wars that require a president who cares about humanity, not greed and self-promotion.

I haven’t even touched on the crypto — like the $2bn investment from a UAE state-backed firm into one of Trump’s digital currencies.

There’s just so much, it’s hard to wade through it all.

Journalism must hold steady. Imagine if, during the Nixon era, a White House reporter asked, “Will you guys release the president’s fitness plan? He looks healthier than ever… is he eating less McDonald’s?”

That’s the level of questioning we’re seeing now.

The biggest grift in history is underway. Everything is for sale.

There will be a post-Trump era. There will be questions. And the old excuse — “we didn’t know what was going on” — won’t be good enough.