Thread by @ThePlumLineGS

Trump didn't just dangle a pardon to officials to get his wall built faster.

He also pressured an agency to give a wall contract to a donor to one of his top GOP allies in Congress.

Behind the populist nationalism, there's always corruption.

New piece:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…

The idea that Trump dangled pardons as a "joke" is not remotely exculpatory.

In making this pushback, officials have *admitted* that Trump said this.

Such a "joke" leaves his underlings in the position of potentially interpreting it as a real directive:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…

All this comes from the tour de force of reporting from @NickMiroff and @jdawsey1.

But don't overlook this important point about Trump pressuring an agency to grant a wall contract to a politically-connected donor:

washingtonpost.com/immigration/ta…

@NickMiroff @jdawsey1 This sort of corruption is deeply entangled with populist nationalism.

When Bannon hated on the "administrative state," he meant bureaucrats who would impede giving contracts to cronies to build the wall shutting out migrants faster.

(cc @HeerJeet)

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…

@NickMiroff @jdawsey1 @HeerJeet There's a Fox News-Trump corruption nexus here, too.

Trump has been pressuring agencies to give a wall contract to a GOP donor after that donor spent time on Fox, vowing to get the wall built fast.

This donor was speaking directly to Trump's brain stem:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…

@NickMiroff @jdawsey1 @HeerJeet With Trump officials claiming his dangling of pardons to get the wall built faster was a "joke," don't forget:

The last time Trump dangled a pardon to a top official, after pressing him to break the law on the border, officials said it was a joke, too:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…