Trump Demands 'Loyalty' from Pardoned Dem, Misses Irony
Mainstream media frames this as Trump’s unique brand of petty politics. Yet, the entire D.C. apparatus operates on a veiled system of 'loyalty' — not to constituents, but to deep-pocketed funders. Representative Cuellar, for instance, has taken over $140,000 from the defense industry since 2011, and millions more from other corporate PACs, according to OpenSecrets.org. This isn't just one former
president's quirk; it's the standard operating procedure: accept the 'aid,' then deliver the 'loyalty' through favorable votes and policy. So, when Trump bemoans Cuellar's lack of fealty, one might wonder if he’s less upset about an outlier and more about the public acknowledgment of D.C.'s unspoken quid pro quo. How many 'loyalties' exactly does a politician owe after taking money, whether it’s
from a former president or a defense contractor?