Trump is richer than he’s ever been and loving the presidency — Americans not so much

Systemic Error Podcast · Aug 26, 2026 · 4m

Trump Is Not “Living His Best Life.” He Is Extracting Rent From the State.The Real Subject Is PowerJonathan Swan’s portrait of Trump as a rich narcissist lounging between flatterers is only the surface. The deeper fact is institutional capture: Trump enters this term with a sweeping immunity decision from the Supreme Court and total command over his party. That is not a personality story. It is a power story.When a president can force his own party to obey, then the party is no longer a check on executive power. It is an instrument of it. The article stumbles toward that truth, but keeps…