Imperfection in the U.S.: Democracy, Voter, President

Donald Trump declared more than $1.4 billion in income from cryptocurrencies and “memecoins.

Perhaps this imperfection that we consider inherent to the American way of life could be called dishonesty.

If you don't have money or someone to support you with it, you can't aspire to any office; people generally vote for personal gain, regardless of whether the elected official promotes wars, genocide, and abuses against smaller, more vulnerable groups. And presidents in any era generally use their office for personal gain, with current President Donald Trump standing out most prominently in all negative indicators.

Trump won the 2024 election, in part, thanks to his ability to appeal to a diverse coalition that included people of all ages and races. However, while his supporters in the MAGA movement remain loyal, polls suggest that many young people who contributed to his victory over Kamala Harris are now disillusioned.

A majority of Americans believe that President Donald Trump and his family have profited improperly from cryptocurrencies since his return to power and that his decisions are influenced by his private businesses, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The four-day survey, which concluded on Monday, revealed that half of Trump's own Republicans believe the president allows his business interests to influence his decisions—a surprising finding for a leader who pledged to end corruption in Washington.

Trump was born into a real estate family in New York and built his name into a globally recognized brand before running for president. Last year, he earned over $1.4 billion from his family's cryptocurrency ventures, including World Liberty Financial and Trump's meme coin, digital assets he has publicly championed.

In March 2025, two months into his second term, the president took to social media to promote his own cryptocurrency, describing it as "The Greatest Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Around 63% of those surveyed said it was inappropriate for Trump and his family to have profited in this way, while 32% considered it appropriate, and the remainder did not answer the question.

Approximately three out of ten Republican respondents rated the transactions as inappropriate, while seven out of ten said they were appropriate.

Democrats often highlight government corruption in the lead-up to the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years, while Trump has pledged to investigate alleged corruption in states governed by Democrats. The president claims he has played no role in the day-to-day running of his family's businesses since returning to office and that his investments are managed independently.

He has implemented pro-cryptocurrency policies in his second term, after seeking the support of cryptocurrency investors during the election campaign. White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated: “The president acts only in the best interests of the American people.”

WHAT FOURTH ESTATE?

It was once said that the press constituted the fourth estate in the United States, after the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, but this is false because it generally operates at the whim of the establishment's interests.

However, there are nuances, consigned interests, and animosity toward the current US president, due to his megalomania and idolatry, that shake the foundations of a media landscape barely clinging to its values.

On Tuesday, Disney and American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) sued the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alleging that the Trump Administration is threatening the network's broadcast licenses in retaliation for its content.

The lawsuit, filed by ABC, its parent company Disney, and eight ABC-owned stations, challenges an unusual FCC order issued in April that requires networks to apply for early renewal of their licenses, several years before the scheduled expiration date of 2028.

The FCC justified the order by citing an investigation into ABC's diversity, equality, and inclusion policies. The network maintains that they are part of a Trump administration campaign to punish the network for content he disapproves of.

"Time and again, the administration has attacked ABC's freedom of expression, the stories its journalists tell, and the viewpoints its programs broadcast," the network stated in the lawsuit, adding, "Over time, those attacks have escalated into explicit demands that ABC's broadcast licenses be revoked because of what it says."

Trump increased the pressure on the American media by securing the temporary suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who had accused him of fostering the rise of fascism.

"If the administration gets its way, the message to all media companies in the country will be unequivocal: tell only the stories the administration deems favorable, or face the coercive apparatus of the federal government. In such a world, the press could in no way be described as free," the network asserted.

Jimmy Kimmel's return drew the highest ratings in 10 years with 6.3 million viewers.

"Here in the United States, right now, we are tearing down, figuratively and literally, the structures of our democracy, from the free press to science, medicine, judicial independence, and the White House itself," said Kimmel, referring to the demolition of the East Wing of the building. "We are a mess," he opined.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff