King Trump claims that his vanity projects, most notably his Ballroom, are paid for by himself and wealthy donors. In his words, "taxpayers do not pay a dime."
Of course, like almost all of his proclamations, this is not true. Indeed, much of the money is siphoned from other government programs and agencies (funded by taxpayers). In other words, the Trump Administration has cut the budget for those programs, redirecting the previously designated funds to Trump's personal projects.
Among the victims of this scheme are the National Parks, beloved and heavily visited by American taxpayers. Services, employment and, one strongly suspects, conservation programs have been significantly reduced. This is of no surprise to those who understand Our Dear Leader's priorities: power, prestige and personal enrichment. Protecting our National Parks does not even make his list (or cross his mind).
