Trump using naked corruption to benefit his allies | Opinion

Corrupt Trump laughing to the bank

Donald Trump sued the federal government (essentially himself) for $10 billion over a leak of his tax returns. Since he controls the DOJ and the IRS, he is both plaintiff and defendant.

Knowing that he would lose in court on the merits (as he should), he has instituted a settlement that the court cannot stop. This “settlement” sets up a $1,776,000,000 fund that Trump will control, designed to compensate those he claims were hurt by “politically motivated lawfare” during the Biden administration. He has pardoned numerous individuals who have been convicted by juries of their peers, including the Jan. 6 rioters.

It is obvious he intends to provide monetary compensation from this fund to many of these pardoned convicts.

This sets up the Trumpian probability that the Jan. 6 rioters, many of whom were convicted of beating police officers and even sedition, will be receiving your taxpayer dollars as a reward for their criminality. If this level of corruption makes your blood boil, let your Congressman know in no uncertain terms.

And if they fail to stop this theft of your tax dollars, vote them all out in November.

Walt Gammill, Boise

Traffic out of control in Boise

Boise metro’s traffic flow is beyond failure. This is the top local issue.

Traffic congestion is much worse than, say, the San Antonio metro. Ridiculous. Road building, planning, patchwork construction, and growth are to blame.

The city is even worse, with narrow roads and silly obstacles, such as lighted pedestrian crossings, low speed limits, traffic lights that stay red long after necessary and bike lanes that rarely have bikers, on roads that should move traffic fast. The city has even wanted to turn State Street into a two-lane road near downtown.

The Curtis Road interchange is comical— a constant game of chicken. I have also observed a plethora of unusually slow and uncertain drivers. Road rage and general anxiety rise. All of this gets noticeably worse every day.

We need a southern freeway bypass, decked roads and arterials that move people fast. It’s been so long since this area has been a “small town.” Get over that fantasy. Boise is a rapidly growing metro area, and someone must take charge and get this insanity corrected.

No finger pointing. Just do it. Now.

Thorpe Orton, Boise

Religious studies being sapped

There is a shocking political development that should be making headlines but instead is being mostly ignored. Despite the pro-Christian rhetoric from the current presidential administration, they are initiating the most serious attack on Christianity in our generation.

The One Big Beautiful Bill includes a regulatory change to the financial transparency requirement for federal student loans for college students. This change makes it impossible for students to get federal student loans if their degree program doesn’t historically generate sufficient salaries among graduates compared to non-college graduates.

Who does this impact? Arts and ministry students, because these are not high paying fields. According to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, 53% of students across the country in religious studies bachelor degree programs would become ineligible, while 89% of those in religious master’s degree programs.

What do you think will happen to Christian colleges and seminaries in the US? Where are churches going to find the next generation of pastors if they can’t get the required education?

Ministry doesn’t pay well, but that’s not why people do it. The administration was warned about this before the bill passed, but they did it anyway. Now is the time to speak up.

John Crow, Boise

Where is Risch on Taiwan defense?

President Trump’s decision to use U.S. arms sales to Taiwan as a “bargaining chip” with China undermines nearly a half century of U.S. bi-partisan foreign policy. Under the Taiwan Relations Act passed by Congress after the U.S. recognition of the People’s Republic of China in 1979, “the United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient defense capability.”

This language was specifically added to the Taiwan Relations Act by the U.S. Senate.

I know this because I was in the room as legislative counsel when Sen. Frank Church, then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Jacob Javits, the ranking Republican member of the committee, added the provision in negotiations with the Carter administration represented by White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler.

In the years since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, Taiwan has purchased billions of defensive weapons from the U.S. with a $14 billion arms package pending Trump’s approval. Sen. Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been noticeably silent on this issue even though he introduced the “Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act” in 2025.

As Risch then stated, “China’s escalating coercive actions are part of its strategy to intimidate Taiwan … into submission — but we won’t allow our friends to be bullied….”

By not speaking out against the president’s willingness to hold hostage the current Taiwan arms package, Risch appears to have caved once again to Trump’s own bullying tactics. It’s just one more instance in a long line of Risch’s silence on key Trump foreign policy issues whether it’s the destruction of NATO, the fiasco in Iran, or now undermining another U.S. ally in Taiwan.

All of this comes when Eddie Yen, the manager of the Idaho-Asia Trade Office, where he represents the state of Idaho in Taiwan, recently addressed the Boise Committee on Foreign Relations. In his remarks, he noted that Taiwan is Idaho’s second-largest trading partner exporting semiconductors, agriculture and food processing worth tens of millions of dollars annually.

Perhaps it’s time for Risch, who if re-elected would be nearly 90 years old, to consider his legacy and retire from politics and allow someone to bring more energy and engagement as senator. Idaho deserves better.

Garry V. Wenske, Boise

Free press under threat

Memorial Day is a perfect time to grieve the loss of freedom of the press. With major networks and publications caving to pressure from the current administration and oligarchs controlling more of what we watch, hear, see or believe, it is a very sad state of affairs.

The FCC now allows monopolies instead of limiting them. Qualified journalists are denied access and ridiculed for asking about what we need to know as a free society.

Formerly reliable sources of news are disappearing. “State version of news” is becoming more prevalent.

Misinformation and disinformation should have been called lies a long time ago. Lies are lies no matter who is saying them and without freedom of the press to tell the truth, that is truly something to mourn!

Sheila Robbins, Boise