We have had presidents with scandal tarnished administrations in the past, but few, if any, have used the office to gain improper wealth, certainly not to the degree of President Trump.  His conduct is a smash and grab operation that is destroying our institutions and norms with the dual intentions of consolidating executive power and extracting personal enrichment.  Much of the graft has the appearance of extortion, a payment of fealty scheme.  Those that can do anything about it are either cowardly complicit, craven participants in the grift, or seemingly paralytically dumbstruck  by Trump’s sheer shamelessness.  Our democratic way of life is getting pummeled.  It’s not only our constitutional institutions. It’s our health, well being and culture, a national culture that is defined by, and relies on our greatest asset- our diversity.  E plurbus unum (out of many, one). Things like  restricting international students and research funding, discarding mRNA vaccine technology, purging library and medical text, will make our society less healthy and dumber and our country weaker. Trump is introducing us to a kleptocratic, Orwellian future. Orwell’s novel “1984” is in it’s 75th anniversary printing.  It’s worth a re-read.  You might want to grab a copy before Trump’s “Ministry of Truth” bans it