AUGUST 2025 – Veteran journalist David Kirkpatrick of The New York Yorker spent months compiling a voluminous (nearly 4,000 word) report on the myriad self-enrichment activities of Donald Trump and his family since Trump re-took office in January. Almost all of it has been reported previously, but Kirkpatrick’s piece is a great example of what good packaging can to do a very important story that many Americans seem to tire of quickly. Moreover, it’s one of those stories that will stand the test of time, and slowly gain more influence.
Trump, a convicted felon, has abandoned any pretense of financial propriety this year, and Kirkpatrick’s “running tally” is a terrific survey of an eye-popping multi-billion-dollar grift, from the Middle East to cryptocurrencies and beyond. It’s long but The New Yorker put out an audio version of the article, so if you have an hour-plus drive to make, sync up your phone to your radio and enjoy the ride. As we mention most of it is old news, but it remains first-rate journalism.