Bestselling author Elizabeth Graham, an authority on the Trump-Putin relationship, asserts that Donald Trump's political dishonesty—including bribery, graft, and malfeasance—has resulted in a state of moral decline in the United States. In her Substack post titled 'Corruption,' Graham writes that successful anti-authoritarian movements attack corruption while reclaiming patriotic symbols, but she questions whether America still upholds its true values of truth, justice, and honesty.
Graham points to Trump's evasion of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a federal law enacted in November 2025 requiring the release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite a unanimous congressional vote and a December 2025 deadline, full disclosure remains pending. Graham cites a CBS News report noting that attention has shifted to the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, while Trump has managed to dodge accountability through distractions.
She also highlights Trump's closure of USAID, which stopped all aid to Africa, and references a study in The Lancet estimating that 15 million people could die by 2040 as a result. Graham criticizes Trump's treatment of immigrants, calling it based on intolerance, and notes the irony given America's immigrant roots.
Regarding foreign policy, Graham cites an MSN report from The Daily Beast in which Trump's public plea to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop attacks on Lebanon was ignored, leading to Iranian missile strikes. She contrasts this with Trump's repeated promises to end the war in Ukraine in one day, a claim he made 53 times according to a CNN fact check.
Graham emphasizes that Trump's corruption is systemic, citing a March 2026 report from the American Bar Association that documents an unprecedented pay-to-play culture under his administration. She warns that without reforms and accountability, this corruption will destroy Americans' faith in democracy, which is exactly what Vladimir Putin desires.
Graham's book, 'From Democracy To Democrazy: A Warning To All Americans,' draws on her two decades of experience living and working in Russia and other authoritarian countries. Readers and reviewers praise her insights, noting that her firsthand experience makes her warnings about Trump's similarities to foreign dictators particularly compelling. More information is available on her Substack and website.
