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PODCAST

Trump Humiliates Nikki Haley in Epic New Rant—but Also Sends a Warning

As Trump puts Republicans on notice against daring to criticize him, a reporter who covers D.C. influence peddling explains how he is already building a new Trump kleptocracy right before our eyes.

Donald Trump
Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg/Getty Images

This week, Donald Trump ranted that no one with ties to certain Republicans who have criticized him will get jobs in the new government. The inclusion of Nikki Haley among them got attention because after her primary against Trump, she bent the knee and obsequiously endorsed him. It didn’t help her much: Her reward is Trump’s thorough humiliation of her. We think this is really a warning to future GOP critics: Cross Trump, and you risk being on the outs, with no way back in. We talked to Casey Michel, a reporter who covers lobbying and influence peddling, and he explains how Trump’s rewarding of friends and punishment of enemies are central to a bigger story: his creation of a new Trump kleptocracy that will now dominate us. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.