IdeaLog
Trump’s Razor—it’s always money and power
Posted on June 12, 2025
Like Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation is usually best), we should recognize Trump’s Razor—that the truest motive for any of his actions is personal power and/or money. A corollary is that his actions are never, ever to benefit our country.
Recently, there have been well-documented stories in the media about Trump’s corruption, e.g.: A Comprehensive Accounting of Trump’s Culture of Corruption, The Trump Presidency’s World-Historical Heist, and The Growing Scandal of $Trump. In just a few months, Trump’s scandals have gone far beyond anyone else’s in American political history.
We and the mainstream media should never accept the argument that Trump cares about or even understands legitimate public policy. Let us be truthful.
Trump doesn’t care about tariffs as a policy. Because, as a policy, it’s insane to think his tariffs would build domestic manufacturing, and everybody knows it. The purpose of these tariffs is to solicit gifts, like the $400 million airplane from Qatar. There are so many ways Trump has created to accept financial benefits, like the $Trump crypto or “deals” with the Trump family, or donating to any number of Trump-controlled organizations. That’s the only rational purpose for tariffs.
Trump doesn’t care about immigrants except as a boogieman device to gain and retain political power. If you think that Mar-a-Lago, the Trump golf courses, and other Trump businesses haven’t used unauthorized immigrants, you’re wildly naïve. And he married an immigrant who illegally worked on a tourist visa. Trump’s attacks are big lies that have nothing to do with immigration policy and everything to do with self-interest.
Trump doesn’t care about abortion. He previously stated, “I’m very pro-choice.” As a “serial philanderer,” as Ted Cruz called him, of course Trump favored abortion. He has become anti-abortion solely for the political support it provides him.
Trump doesn’t care about the deficit or federal debt. In his first term, Trump exploded the national debt, increasing it by $7.8 trillion. Now Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” would increase the debt again by $3.8 trillion, mostly to transfer money into the pockets of the rich. It is absurd to suggest that Trump’s DOGE spending cuts were motivated by improving efficiency or fiscal conservatism. He’s just trying to fire people who enforce or execute federal laws in order to increase his power.
Trump doesn’t care about antisemitism. Be realistic. He said that neo-Nazis in Charlottesville were “very fine people.” He dined with Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, knowing they were antisemites. He elevated Elon Musk to head DOGE even though he has made pro-Nazi and anti-Jewish comments and famously gave a stiff-arm Nazi-style salute. Trump is simply using assertions of antisemitism to attack his enemies.
And does anybody believe that Trump’s attacks on law firms, universities and media companies are based on a desire for better public policy?
So, let’s stop saying that Trump is trying to strike “deals.” Let’s stop saying that the Trump family is “doing business.” Let’s stop saying that anything he does is to improve public policy. Trump’s Razor is right.