TRUMP'S BIG LIE

Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: The Big Lie Behind Trump’s Biggest Crime

Donald Trump has always had a signature move: accuse others of the very crimes he commits. It is not just deflection; it’s projection. It’s not just hypocrisy; it’s strategy. And perhaps nowhere is this more shamelessly on display than in his crusade against so-called “fraud, waste, and abuse” in the federal government.

Trump did not fight fraud, waste, and abuse. He embodied them, supercharged them, and used the slogan as a cover for the most aggressive dismantling of public trust and public service in American history.

Let’s begin with the facts: prior administrations had their share of inefficiencies. However, those instances were often minor and subject to rigorous oversight by the Inspectors General, the Government Accountability Office, and the Department of Justice. These internal mechanisms worked. Fraud was detected, waste was addressed, and abuses were prosecuted.

Until Trump.

Under Trump, the watchdogs responsible for rooting out government wrongdoing were fired, sidelined, or replaced by loyalists. Independent Inspectors General were systematically purged. The Department of Justice was twisted into a personal legal defense fund for the president and a political weapon against his opponents. The fox was not just guarding the henhouse; it had eaten the hens and was now selling their eggs at a profit.

Yet, through it all, Trump kept repeating the lie: that he was cleaning up Washington, that he alone could root out the rot, and that he was the guardian of taxpayer dollars.

In reality, he was robbing the public blind.

Trump's idea of “draining the swamp” was to drain the lifeblood from essential government agencies, gut environmental protections, sabotage public health infrastructure, and freeze or eliminate services for veterans, the disabled, the elderly, and the poor. In the name of removing waste, Trump ensured that countless Americans were denied lifesaving services. Some will die as a result.

Meanwhile, who benefitted? The wealthy, the corporations, the Trump family, his allies, and his donors. Trump used the language of fiscal responsibility as a smokescreen for theft. His tax policies were a massive wealth transfer to the top, paid for with cuts to social services, regulatory rollback, and chaos.

This was not just waste; it was intentional sabotage. It was not just fraud; it was state-sanctioned grift. It was not just abuse; it was an assault on the very idea of government by and for the people.

And all the while, his followers cheered.

Why? Because the slogan “fraud, waste, and abuse” is effective. It appeals to everyone—nobody wants their money wasted. But Trump turned that common cause into a con job. He pretended to be the sheriff while looting the town. And now, he wants to finish the job.

We must not let him.

William James Spriggs