10 ways President Trump is more corrupt this term

President Donald Trump already cemented himself as the most corrupt president in American history during his first term in office. Yet somehow, in his second term, he’s found ways to multiply the ways he uses his public office for private gain. During his first term, Trump amassed more than 3,700 conflicts of interest after refusing to divest from his business empire. Instead of reducing those conflicts when he returned to office, he expanded them into a broader system of corruption—creating more ways to profit from the presidency, reward allies who help enrich him and use the powers of government for his own personal benefit.

If his first term redefined presidential corruption, his second has taken it to an entirely new level. Here are 10 ways Trump’s second term is even more corrupt than his first.

1. He’s making far more money than he did during his first term.

Trump’s first year back in office was the most lucrative year of his entire life. He reported making at least $2.2 billion in 2025, significantly more than the $1.6 billion he brought in during his entire four year first term. Between his expanding business empire, cryptocurrency ventures, licensing deals, foreign developments, merchandise and other revenue streams, the financial opportunities tied to his presidency have grown far beyond what existed during his first administration.

2. He’s pardoning even more corrupt politicians—and people who financially benefit him. 

Trump has increasingly used his pardon power to benefit his political allies, including letting at least 22 politicians off the hook and other individuals who spend millions lobbying him or otherwise have provided financial benefits to him and his interests. This pattern raises questions about whether access and money have become even more intertwined with presidential clemency. Trump’s pardons have allowed some fraudsters to avoid paying millions in restitution, leaving victims without compensation.  

3. There are far more ways to personally enrich Trump than there were in his first term. 

During Trump’s first term, someone looking to curry favor could book a room at one of his hotels. Today, there are countless new ways to put money in his pocket. People can buy stock in his publicly traded company (which is now planning to sell faster access to his Truth Social posts to traders and investors), purchase his cryptocurrency, buy his memecoin for the chance at VIP experiences at Mar-a-Lago, spend nearly $12,000 on commemorative UFC coins or even commit millions to development projects tied to his business empire.

4. He’s using the government to pursue his own financial interests. 

Trump sued the government he now oversees seeking billions of taxpayer dollars, and argued that the Justice Department should pay him over $200 million to compensate him for federal investigations into his conduct. While the nearly $1.8 billion slush fund for his allies got shut down in the courts, Trump still managed to get an agreement from the IRS barring audits into past tax claims from himself, his family and his businesses.

Meanwhile, companies tied to the Trump sons keep getting government contracts, and World Liberty Financial, the Trump family-backed crypto venture, applied for a national trust bank charter. The list of conflicts goes on and on.

5. He’s visiting his properties even more than last time—directing more taxpayer money to them.

Trump has visited his properties 278 times so far this term, outpacing the 243 visits he made by this point in his first term. Every presidential visit requires the Secret Service and may involve other government agencies to spend taxpayer money at businesses he still owns, while members of his administration continue promoting those same properties. In just the first months of his second term, the Secret Service spent nearly $100,000 in taxpayer money at Trump properties—and those costs will only continue to grow.

6. Corporations and wealthy individuals have even more opportunities to buy access and influence with Trump. 

Whether it’s settling bogus lawsuits the administration brings, contributing millions to Trump’s pet projects—like his ballroom, library/hotel or America’s 250th anniversary events—or providing any other financial benefits, wealthy interests appear to have more ways than ever to seek favorable treatment or receive special favors from the administration. 

7. He now has dozens of foreign business developments while serving as president. 

During Trump’s first term, he and the Trump Organization pledged not to make foreign deals. Now, he has roughly 23 international developments in the works, creating far more opportunities for foreign governments, investors and business partners to financially benefit the sitting president while seeking favorable treatment from the U.S. This includes multi-million deals in Qatar and Saudi Arabia—key U.S. allies in a region reshaped by the war with Iran—and Vietnam, which was seeking relief from U.S. tariffs. 

8. There’s even less transparency into how the government is spending taxpayer money at Trump’s properties. 

The public has less knowledge about how much taxpayer money is being spent at Trump’s properties because the administration has largely failed to provide records in response to Freedom of Information Act requests and has even shuttered several agency FOIA offices. That makes it harder to track the extent to which public dollars are flowing into the president’s businesses. 

9. He used the presidency to make his own property the host site of the G20.

Trump tried to host an international summit at one of his resorts during his first term but backed down after widespread criticism. This time, he has succeeded in directing the G20 Summit to his Miami Doral resort, requiring foreign officials and the press to conduct official government business at a personal business that he still profits from as president. By deciding to host the event at his own property, Trump denied other American cities the opportunity to compete for the economic benefits.   

10. He and his investment advisors have made trades worth millions of dollars, while he oversees policies that can affect their value.

Trump, either personally or through his investment advisers, has purchased and sold millions of dollars worth of stock while also potentially possessing—and sometimes publicly announcing—information capable of moving financial markets. He also oversees policies that can directly affect the value of those investments, like vastly expanding immigration detention while investing in private prison companies. That combination raises conflict of interest concerns over whether a sitting president is benefiting from information unavailable to everyday Americans. During the first year of his last term, Trump’s investment advisers reported 86 stock trades, compared to the more than 21,000 securities trades they made last year.