In brief, there are a few simple reasons Trump smiles these days. They are:
- He gets to spend other people’s money (taxpayers like us) to forward his game:
- DOJ lawyers defend his unlawful “official acts”
- DOJ lawyers harass those who oppose him
 
- He gets to openly sell indulgences and influence:
- He sells VIP audiences with himself for cash.
- He fosters transactions with crypto currencies that enrich him even though he may not directly benefit from the transactions using them.
- Sales of expensive swag made valuable by his name and role, and more important, made attractive by his implicit gratitude for the premium price paid.
- He can drive stocks up or down with a tweet or the stroke of a Sharpie.
 
- He gets to do lots of sketchy or outright illegal stuff because SCOTUS says he’s immune to prosecution.
- Congress is too intimidated, or too cultish and tribal to constrain him.
- Billionaires see him as an ally and buddy up to him.
No guardrails, no consequences. What could possibly go wrong?


