If there was any standardized measure, a Grift Index if you will, then that would surely be showing exponential growth for certain players.
The Trump grab for an airport named after him is just the latest grift in a presidential term that experts so far estimate has enriched the Trump family by at least $4 billion.
~ https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-16-2026is just the latest in an extraordinary personal achievement by just one of the current crop of players.
here's mine: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/13/venezuela-oil-sales-qatar-ch...
Democrats Push for Transparency on Venezuelan Oil Money Controlled by U.S. - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/us/venezuela-oil-money-de... | https://archive.today/pWvLH - February 11th, 2026
Trump’s Claim to Venezuelan Oil Money Draws Scrutiny in Congress - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/us/politics/trumps-claim-... | https://archive.today/xhNT9 - January 7th, 2026 (“President Trump’s declaration that he would personally control the proceeds from oil produced in Venezuela drew instant condemnation on Wednesday from Democrats in Congress who noted that the president had no constitutional authority for such an undertaking.”)
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/16/prediction-markets-insider-...