It’s been amply established that Donald Trump’s vow to “drain the swamp” is just another con in a long list of cons pulled on the American people during the election campaign. His cabinet is a virtual who’s who of billionaires, CEOs, and insiders from the political and business worlds. Between them, they have enough conflicts of interest to stretch from the White House to Trump Tower. Of all the excuses offered for these appointments, the one proffered by a top adviser to the president-elect may be the most ridiculous of all. Apparently there’s no way they can possibly be corrupt because–wait for it–they’re too rich to be corrupt.
Just before Christmas, Larry Kudlow, a senior contributor at CNBC and a columnist at National Review, penned a column at National Review calling for Trump to focus on strengthening the economy. Along the way, he took a swipe at those criticizing the makeup of Trump’s cabinet. As far as Kudlow is concerned, this is just another liberal attempt to demonize successful people.
“Why shouldn’t the president surround himself with successful people? Wealthy folks have no need to steal or engage in corruption. Their business success demonstrates that they know how to achieve goals and convince skeptics that good deals can be made to the benefit of both sides. Isn’t this just what America needs?”
When my old friend Steve Benen mentioned this on Rachel Maddow’s blog, I had to read it twice to believe it. Even allowing for the usual hyperbole we’ve come to expect from anyone who is an adviser to Trump, this is staggeringly laughable. So it’s not possible for someone to fall to the temptations of corruption when he’s rich?
As Jon Chait of New York magazine points out, this claim doesn’t withstand even cursory analysis. We need only look at Trump himself. After all, he hasn’t even begun to unwind the stratospheric conflicts of interest that surround him, even though he could potentially be committing impeachable offenses from the moment he takes office. He also plans to involve his own children in his administration to an unprecedented degree, and has a bad habit of refusing to pay contractors who work for him. Oh, that’s right–he’s a billionaire, so he can’t possibly be corrupt.
Perhaps Kudlow is blinded by the rumors that he is slated to to join the Trump administration as a senior economic adviser. Specifically, he’s the favorite to become chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers even though he isn’t an economist. Kudlow’s sole qualification is that he is one of the nation’s most ardent supply-siders. His belief in supply-side theory is so resolute that even when he is proven wrong, he isn’t willing to accept it. For instance, he claimed that Bill Clinton’s move to raise the top tax rate to 39 percent would backfire; it didn’t. And he blindly denied growing evidence that Bush 43’s fiscal policy was a disaster waiting to happen.
Sounds like Kudlow is of a piece with Trump–he keeps charging ahead in the face of overwhelming evidence. This latest column is in the same vein.
