Trump ‘slush fund’ echoes scorned 19th-century spoils system, academics say

By: Jonathan Shorman

Outlets: DC Bureau (States Newsroom)

Published: May 29, 2026

Words: 1,307

Last Updated: 1 hour, 40 minutes ago

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President Donald Trump’s extraordinary $1.776 billion fund to pay off allies and others who say they have been wronged by past administrations has drawn widespread condemnation by opponents, including some Republicans, who characterize it as an act of brazen corruption.

But the Trump administration’s push to reward its supporters also harkens back to an earlier era of American cronyism, experts say, while expanding the frontiers of political favoritism.

From the early years of the United States …

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