If we know anything about this administration, it's that there is no limit to anything, no bottom to any matter — it's a given. But that's quite different than saying it's beyond the power to shock.
At times, Trump 2.0's actions can still jam a jaw to the floor, particularly when the move involves absurd grift while servicing some of the most pro-fascist, pro-Russian forces on Earth, and especially when the White House connection lands at the feet of the second most powerful person ensconced in the dump.
CBS Newsreported last week that Katie Wiles, the daughter of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, recently traveled to Republika Srpska, the Bosnian-controlled territory led by pro-Russian Serb strongman Milorad Dodik. A fascist meeting a fellow fascist, and not for a vacation.
The image,shared online by conservative Albanian American activist Evi Kokalari, shows Wiles holding a rifle and standing next to a man CBS News has identified as Željko Budimir, the interior minister of the semi-autonomous Republika Srpska administration. Katie Wiles is a partner at Continental Strategy, a large political lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., according to its website.
It could be important to note that the Financial Timesreported that the far-right pro-Russia party pays Katie Wiles's firm $35,000 per month.
Right. For what?
Well, not for pictures of her holding a rifle, that we do know. No, the answer is in the story: Continental partner Alex Garcia ostensibly arranged a White House meeting with Susie Wiles on behalf of a political representative associated with that client. Susie Wiles participated in the meeting. Katie is a partner in Garcia's firm, whether she participated or not.
Let's proceed with dealing with a real-life suspicion, since we don't have the reported fact yet. One can reasonably suspect that Katie Wiles lobbies Washington on behalf of the fascists, up to and through a meeting with the White House chief of staff, the person closest to the United States president's ear and [purported] mind. From there, God only knows what happens to the fascists' Pro-Putin file.
And that leads to a couple of problems, and those two problems directly lead to nearly every other problem.
First, obviously, it is not illegal for an American citizen to lobby the American government on behalf of a foreign power, even a questionable one, so long as one is a registered agent, so as to prevent confusion as to whose interests one favors in any given scenario. It is likely quasi-legal for Katie to work as a partner in such a firm arranging a meeting — though that might involve some of those "real life" facts that may emerge from a real investigation, whether there was a quid pro quo.
Here is what we do know.
Under 5 C.F.R. § 2635.502(b)(1)(iii), there is a major problem with "participation in particular matters involving specific parties when a covered relationship could cause a reasonable person to question an official's impartiality, " and it does not require proof of bribery, corruption, improper influence, or an actual financial benefit to the daughter.
It contemplates only the appearance of compromised impartiality. Katie is a partner. Her salary depends upon the firm's success. That "appears" very problematic.
Pause for laughter. Get it out. Despite all dogs in heaven, the president took a plane as a "gift." This is nothing.
Nevertheless, Trump is not covered by the ethics statutes (only impeachment considerations), and yet Susie Wiles is. And given that Susie Wiles is likely more interested in foreign affairs than Trump, simply by nature, now through nurture, too — the meeting with Wiles might be even more powerful than one through which Trump sleeps.
By many accounts, the episode has left Trump furious about the whole affair. Apparently he knew nothing about it, the news caught him totally on the hop. It's reportedly enough to make him contemplate replacing his chief of staff, a woman he's openly considered his rock for many years.
But let's dive right back to real life despite the danger. More laughter, the firm insists that Katie Wiles was not involved in any lobbying on the fascists' behalf — that was left to former deputy Trump campaign manager Alex Garcia.
Fine. Let's pretend they have any reason to tell the truth. That doesn't mean that Garcia would ever get that White House meeting without partnering with Katie.
Grift, graft, gangsta.
It has likely not escaped your notice that these almost daily "messy entanglements" with the Trump administration seem to always involve "bad guys" and never, like, Germany or Japan. And certainly not "Canada." Indeed, does anyone doubt that right now, officially, the American people are aligned with far more animosity toward the Canadian government than these killers?
So you have two bad things, the ethical issue and the unnatural American position, leading to everything else. That is, nothing matters anymore. No matter how much American s--t you break, so long as you're close enough to Trump, making money, and don't pick the wrong side.
Lest you think this is little more than a bad look, let's look deeper. First of all, such an American position — whatever it might be, certainly if pro-fascist or at least not "anti-fascist," could get people killed who otherwise might live if these crazed wanna-be dictators were opposed by American democratic and classic liberal interests. There's that, and that's on the Bosnia-Herzegovina side of things.
On our side of things, it's still much more than a bad look. It took generations to build up good relationships with the good guys, good enough to be thought of as a good guy despite being the 900 lb gorilla in the room. Now we're seen as a gorilla with rabies.
Eventually, well — even today — all this is going to cost Americans money and comfort, much more than just paying a premium for real maple syrup. Did Trump ever get one of our real allies to join us in the Iranian War? No, he couldn't even get respectable nations to keep the Strait open, despite it being in the West's precious interests. Still nothing. The situation has now cost us American lives, government money, your gas money.
Multiply this isolated situation by one hundred: death by tiny cuts all over the place for little things we used to take for granted. Not real death, just the death of an empire that, all in all, was more good than bad. We're no longer that, which leaves only the inverse. More bad than good.
The world gave the United States one mulligan in 2016. This time the good will isn't coming back.
Now what if something really bad happens? What if someone actually manages to blow up large portions of Los Angeles — doesn't really matter who. There will likely be some kind of international response in our favor, but would it be what it would have been? Take it further. What if the Cascadian fault off the PacNW slips to the point of a 9.0 earthquake? We will likely get considerable help; any country would, but as much as before? On the same terms? Or would the loans be... less generous?
But as said, maple syrup, think maple syrup. And it all arises from a White House whose raison d'etre is "break it all! Sell it for scrap — it's yours!"
Like Russia circa 2000, and if we've proved one thing over the last 10 years, it is that we are certainly not above Russophiling our way to similar permanent government.
All those books in the US Code and the Code of Federal Regulations, page after page after page, all of it made up to prevent a problem that likely came up in the past, or the page wouldn't exist. Torn out, page by page.
So allow that jaw to drop and make this a talking point; demand an investigation — call your Senator. It may do no good now; it might do some good in a few months. At least get the history right.
God help us all, fascists paying a few Americans to sit with one of the top 10 most powerful Americans and... well, we don't know what they decided, on paper or in real life. That's the problem.
Jason Miciak is a Rawstory Columnist, past editor at Occupy Democrats, an author, consultant, attorney, and single parent girldad. Please followon Bluesky, and he can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com