What did Donald Trump do today?
He said he'd cancel regulations for billionaires.
Trump has only occasionally posted to his private social media network in recent months, but today returned to something a bit more like his manic Twitter habits from the first term, with 25 posts by 10 p.m. One of them was apparently a policy statement:
Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!
There is no legal way for Trump to do this, but businesses that were trying to break the law or evade regulations would probably feel braver about doing that if they thought the executive branch wouldn't hold them accountable.
Among the most obvious beneficiaries would be people like his patron, Elon Musk (whose picture was featured in several of Trump's posts today). Musk's business empire and personal wealth rely heavily on government contracts, but the horrifying safety record of Tesla and SpaceX, his scofflaw approach to the environmental damage his rocket company has caused, and a host of labor violations have brought the attention of regulators.
Musk rewarded Trump with an approving tweet, saying "this is awesome."
Why does this matter?
- Wealthy people and giant corporations should have to obey the law too.