"I Don't Think There's Any Precedent for It" — Anne Applebaum on Trump and Kleptocracy

Anne Applebaum argues that Trump-era America is moving toward kleptocracy: a system where political power and economic power merge, and leaders use the state to enrich themselves and their allies. She says the key difference from ordinary corruption is that policy is being shaped for the benefit of a small, wealthy circle rather than ordinary Americans, and she sees no real precedent in U.S. history for a president enriching himself while in office on this scale.

She also pushes back on the idea that this is just the same as long-standing Washington ethics problems. Applebaum says insider trading, money in politics, and post-Citizens United corruption helped prepare the ground, but Trump’s situation is different because foreign governments, crypto deals, and policy decisions now appear directly tied to his family’s finances. She cites examples including the UAE, Saudi-linked sponsorships, and the Trump family’s reported wealth gains.

Applebaum says the bigger danger is that private companies and officials will self-censor because the White House can reward loyalty and punish resistance. She argues that critics need to make the costs concrete for voters, the way Alexei Navalny did in Russia, by connecting elite theft to everyday damage like worse services, weaker institutions, and policy that serves the rich instead of the public.