in response to recent actions such as Trump receiving a gift of a Qatar plane and hosting a cryptic banquet, The New York Times pointed out in an article that Trump is monetizing the presidency, and he and his family are better able to profit from the White House than any previous president, normalizing activities that would have previously sparked strong opposition and official investigations. Scholars studying corruption in government officials believe that, by traditional Washington standards, the Trump administration, still in its early stages, is the most brazen candidate in American history to use public office for personal gain, potentially even surpassing the Watergate scandal and other famous scandals.

The report stated that since taking power, Trump's changes to Washington have been reflected in his normalization of money-making schemes, which previously would have led to endless political backlash, televised hearings, official investigations, and damage control. The anger of the Trump era's demise, or at least its scarcity, reflects to what extent the president has changed Washington's established behavioral norms.