06/01/2026
HAPPY JUNE YAVAPAI DEMOCRATS!
A lot has happened in American politics in May, and none of it was very good.
Before I get to that, I would like to remind you that Donald Trump, while he was Commander-in-Chief, posited (allegedly) that fallen servicemembers were “suckers” and “losers” for dedicating their lives to the United States and democracy. It is easy to imagine DJT stating this. He is possibly the most immoral, amoral, transactional, materialistic and corrupt person ever to occupy the White House. It would be unfathomable for him to imagine a world where adherence to a set of principles, for which one is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, is admirable and honorable.
But let’s get back to the present. In the midst of his war of choice, which is raising gas, grocery and every other cost in the country and for which he does not have an exit plan, DJT is plowing ahead with putting his signature and image on our money and building grotesque and expensive monuments to himself, using National Park funds that will leave our beloved parks starving for much needed infrastructure improvements.
Trump and his family have taken the office of the Presidency and turned it into a cash cow for themselves and their allies, through cryptocurrency schemes, predictive markets, favored no-bid contracts, and on and on.
However, the piece de resistance of his coordinated corruption must certainly be his lawsuit against the IRS, which resulted in an out of court settlement which set up a fund of 1.776 billion (cute huh?) for his personally appointed cronies to dole out to anyone they feel was targeted by the Biden administration. This would necessarily include the J6 defendants, all of which either pled guilty or were found guilty by judges and juries. There is another word for this fund, and that is theft from American taxpayers.
To top it off, the settlement includes a prohibition against the IRS going after Trump or his family for past tax crimes. To date, Trump’s tax filings currently under audit could result in an order of additional taxes due in the range of $100 million. That’s quite an outcome from a lawsuit that was procedurally and legally improper.
Is this what Trump voters wanted when they put him back in office in 2024? Presumably, some of them did, as their pettiness and sense of grievance knows no bounds.
However, I’m assuming that most of these voters cast their ballot based on Trump’s promises of lower prices, a roaring economy, deportation of criminal undocumented immigrants and no foreign wars. These are admirable aims and who can blame them for wanting a fair shake in the economy?
Did they get what they wanted? Of course not, because Trump has never told the truth in his entire life and he has been emboldened by a party that has abrogated their power and duty to the country.
I guarantee you that Trump considers these voters “suckers” and “losers.” Not only for believing such a gigantic fabulist but for not taking advantage of the system to grab their piece of the corruption pie.
This is not normal. It is not normal in this country for top officials to engage in and brag about their blatant corruption and to denigrate those who believe in fairness and the rule of laws. I like to think that normal will return one day. I hope that the truth of this era will be finally understood by the people supporting Trump and that they recognize themselves for the marks and victims they have become. Until that day, I will leave you with a lyric from the song “Sin City” by Gram Parson and Chris Hillman. The song was about the corruption in the music industry, but corruption is corruption, so here we go:
This old earthquake’s gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town’s insane
On the Thirty-First floor
Your gold -plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain
Kathleen Sauer
Chair
Yavapai County Democratic Party
