Well looky here. Remember how Donald Trump’s singular interest in withholding already earmarked foreign aid to Ukraine was his desire to see “corruption” washed away? Well, Trump and his administration have a strange way of trying to get this done. The Washington Post reports that White House budget documents show the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut BILLIONS of dollars in “foreign aid programs tasked with combating corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere overseas.”
Citing examples like the White House’s interest in cutting the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement program—tasked with “helping U.S. partners address threats to U.S. interests by building resilience and promoting reform in the justice and law enforcement sectors through support to new institutions and specialized offices, such as Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.” Congress rejected that attempt, but the White House reapplied for cuts to that program again in their 2020 budget.
Considering that Trump’s entire “anti-corruption” team consists of criminally corrupt individuals and dubious financing, it is no surprise that Trump and friends can’t be bothered to create even the thinnest of subterfuge for their nefarious activities.
The Post throws in some quotes by Trump. Like everything Trump says, they are almost 100% true, they’re just coming through the mouth of a liar. “This whole thing—this whole thing is about corruption.” Yes. It’s all about corruption. And never forget this quote: “This is about corruption, and this is not about politics.” It’s the Trump administration’s diseased and corrupted core.