Even those who’ve come to expect routine corruption from Donald Trump were taken aback when The New York Times reported in October that the president “is demanding that the Justice Department pay him about $230 million in compensation for the federal investigations into him.”
Two months later, this is apparently still on the Republican’s mind — though the financial target is now vastly higher.
“We have all the evidence,” Trump told an audience in North Carolina, “and we have to do something about it. We have to do something about it. It’s illegal and disgusting.
“You know, I brought a lawsuit, and I’m winning the lawsuit. There’s only one problem: I’m the one who has to settle it. In other words, I am suing, and I’m the one that’s supposed to settle it.”
“There’s never been a case like this. Donald Trump sues the United States of America. Donald Trump becomes president. And now Donald Trump has to settle the suit. I hereby give myself $1 billion.”
At that point, the president started debating with himself about whether he’d keep the money or donate it to charity, before concluding that it’s “a strange position to be in” because he feels the need to “negotiate with myself.”
To briefly recap, Trump confirmed in late October that he believes he’s entitled to a payoff from the government, declaring that Justice Department officials “owe me a lot of money.” While claiming he was “damaged very greatly” by the investigations into his many alleged felonies, Trump added that it would ultimately be up to him to approve a payout to himself.
“I’m the one that makes the decision, and that decision would have to go across my desk,” he told reporters, “and it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.” Two months later, his “I hereby give myself $1 billion” appeared to be an attempt at humor — though with Trump, it’s hard to know for sure — but it’s nevertheless the case that the president still expects a massive check and still sees himself the final arbiter on whether he receives the money or not. The head-spinning circumstances remain utterly bizarre: Watch this space. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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