SCARBOROUGH, ONT.—In a series of increasingly dubious justifications for his blatant corruption, United States President Donald J. Trump’s last and perhaps weakest excuse was simple: nobody cares.

And, in a sense, he’s right.

Nobody cares about the Qatari airplane. Nobody cares about the crypto ventures, the self-dealing, the stock market manipulation, or the endless conflicts of interest. Nobody cares.

Why?

Nobody cares because the scale of it is so pervasive, so constant, and so overwhelming that it exceeds the ability of ordinary citizens to fully comprehend it.

Nobody cares because Congress has effectively surrendered its central constitutional purpose: serving as a check on executive power.

Nobody cares because the Supreme Court has granted the president sweeping immunity for actions taken while in office.

Nobody cares because the U.S. Department of Justice has been systematically stripped of experienced, independent career officers and transformed it into what critics see as the president’s personal law firm.

Nobody cares because many MAGA voters believe that Trump is their guy and, therefore, can do no wrong.

Nobody cares because a large segment of the electorate assumes all politicians are corrupt and sees Trump as merely one more example; only more openly so.

Nobody cares because much of the Democratic Party’s political establishment does not regard Trump’s corruption as a winning political issue.

Nobody cares because Trump is omnipresent. He dominates every news cycle, every platform, and every conversation. Journalists are exhausted by the daily task of basic fact checking, let alone undertaking sustained investigations into corruption.

Nobody cares because many journalists reasonably fear that the corporate interests of their employers may take precedence over aggressive reporting on presidential misconduct.

Nobody cares when demonstrably false claims—such as assertions that the 2020 election was stolen—are repeated endlessly until they become mere background noise.

Nobody cares when large political donations appear tied to a favourable government action.

Nobody cares because even the most modest attempts at accountability are instantly dismissed as partisan witch hunts.

Nobody cares because partisan media, often masquerading as impartial journalism, flood audiences with half-truths, distractions, and misdirection.

Nobody cares among the Tech Bros so long as there is a deal to be made, a merger to broker, or a fee to collect. We are getting ours so why should we care how he collects his. 

Nobody cares within parts of the religious right because Trump is viewed as divinely chosen to lead America. Adultery and corruption are apparently not disqualifiers.

So what happens to a democracy when so many people who should care simply don’t?

Last week, in a prime-time address to the nation, Americans got a glimpse of the Trump administration’s potential strategy for the November midterms: heads I win, tails you lose. Blame the Chinese, and cast doubt upon the integrity of the electoral process.

The arithmetic of elections may change. The corruption does not.

Because nobody cares.

John McKay is the former Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough–Guildwood, Ont., and was the Canadian co-chair of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group. He co-chaired the Permanent Joint Board on Defence for seven years. He was an MP for 27 years, from 1997 to 2025, and is now a senior associate at David Pratt & Associates.

The Hill Times