Chaos, Corruption and Cruelty Report #3

Economic chaos, Unregulated crypto scams, and the elimination of civil rights.

Apr 09, 2025

Each week, we chronicle the chaotic, corrupt, and cruel actions of Donald Trump and his administration. Here is what happened this week:

A quick plea. MurMur remains free because understanding our current political crisis is vital. If you find our breakdowns clear, practical, and helpful in navigating tough conversations, please support our mission by becoming a paid subscriber. Your subscription allows us to continue providing essential information to everyone.

Chaos: Trump’s Tariffs

After days of economic fallout, Donald Trump abruptly paused his sweeping reciprocal tariffs—dropping them to 10% for most countries—while jacking up tariffs on China to 125%. This abrupt shift has introduced significant chaos into the financial markets.

Let’s recap:

Trump imposed tariffs on nearly every trading partner, claiming it was essential to America’s economic survival.
The stock market tanked—over $6 trillion in market value vanished in 48 hours.
America became more isolated. China gained leverage.
Then, with zero concessions from our trade partners, Trump caved.
Zero manufacturing jobs returned to America.

A whole lot of chaos, no return.

Whether the tariffs are on or off hardly matters now. The damage is done. The U.S. no longer looks like a reliable trade partner—and with just a 90-day pause in place, the uncertainty continues. American businesses can’t plan. Investments stall. Austerity follows.

Chaos is bad economic policy.

Corruption: The DOJ disbands the Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit

The Department of Justice has officially disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), the unit tasked with investigating fraud in the crypto sector. The move fits squarely into Trump’s broader deregulatory agenda—and conveniently protects his financial stake in what amounts to a presidential meme coin scam.

In 2023, Americans lost over $5.6 billion to crypto-related investment scams and cybercrimes. Two days before his inauguration, Trump launched his meme coin, $Trump. The next day, Melania launched hers.

Since then:

Trump’s net worth has increased by $10.8 billion due to his ownership stake in the coin.
The Trump Organization has raked in over $100 million in transaction fees.
Over 800,000 retail accounts have lost a collective $2 billion trading the coin.

Here’s how the scam works:

Trump creates a meme coin, markets it to his supporters, and releases it on the blockchain.
His organization keeps 83% of the coin’s total supply. The rest is sold to the public.
The coin launched at $12, surged to $70—where most of Trump’s supporters likely bought in—then crashed to $45 within 48 hours. It now trades at $9.
Trump profits off every transaction, and the coin itself cost nothing to create.

Oh—and every transaction is anonymous. No names, no trails. It’s essentially an offshore slush fund anyone can use to funnel money directly to the President.

It’s a textbook grift. So naturally, Trump’s DOJ isn’t investigating it.

Cruelty: Refusing to return wrongfully deported man.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident with legal status to live and work in the U.S., was wrongfully detained by the U.S. government and deported to El Salvador—where he was thrown into a prison camp.

The Trump administration has since admitted this was a mistake.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the administration to bring him back by April 7, 2025.

Instead of complying, Trump’s Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court to block the order. Chief Justice John Roberts granted the stay—giving the administration permission to continue detaining an innocent man in a foreign country.

Garcia has no criminal record, no gang ties, and no history of violence. He was never brought before a judge, never allowed to speak to a lawyer, and is now imprisoned in a country he fled in fear.

There is no legal, moral, or policy justification for this. It doesn’t make anyone safer. It won’t stop fentanyl. It won’t bring back jobs. It solves nothing.

This is about one thing: sending a message.

A message that legal status doesn’t protect you. That it doesn’t matter whether you’re documented, undocumented, working, or raising a family. If you look like their definition of an immigrant—they want you gone.

Our government is kidnapping legal residents. Deporting them without due process. Then, refusing to bring them back even after admitting fault.

We should hold everyone involved in this accountable.

Donald Trump and Steven Miller for creating the policy.
Tom Homan, Todd Lyons, Kristi Noem, and Marco Rubio for carrying it out.
Every Republican senator who confirmed these appointments.
Chief Justice John Roberts for his complacency.
Every Republican official defending or ignoring these acts.
“Elite” universities too timid to defend their students from ICE raids.
Democrats who stay silent because it doesn’t “poll well.”

They’re all complicit—some more than others. But together, they are failing to protect what is most sacred about America: The right to due process. The right to face your accuser.

This is what the end of the American experiment looks like.

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?