Trump: The Fifth Crime Family

The Lincoln Project

News, Government, Politics, News Commentary

4.6 • 9.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 September 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Donald Trump’s New York story isn’t just about gold-plated towers—it’s about shady deals, mob ties, bankruptcies, and the grift that built his so-called empire. In this episode, host Rick Wilson sits down with Jonathan Mahler of The New York Times Magazine to dig into Trump’s corruption in New York real estate, his mob connections, and how those dirty deals shaped the man who would later seize the presidency. Together, they expose the Trump Tower backstory, the bankruptcy bailouts, and the pattern of fraud and scandal that defined Trump long before MAGA.

This deep-dive connects the dots between Trump’s shady New York origins and the current chaos of his political empire, revealing how the same real estate scams, mafia ties, and financial fraud that fueled his rise are still driving his downfall today.
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You can purchase Jonathan Mahler’s newest book ‘THE GODS OF NEW YORK: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990’ wherever fine books are sold, and you can follow him on X @jonathanmahler.

Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.

Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollandBranch.com/LINCOLN. #ad

Transcript

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0:00.0	Want to try a free sample of berry pie?
0:02.0	Oh, yeah, I do.
0:03.3	Wait.
0:04.4	Can something this small really throw my body off balance?
0:07.2	Time to consult the online experts.
0:10.0	Hi, Felicia here with one million followers.
0:12.6	That bite will destroy your metabolism.
0:15.2	A drink butter coffee instead to kill cravings.
0:17.5	What?
0:18.0	Is it really that bad?
0:19.8	I had protein this morning, right?
0:21.8	Ugh, but it looks so good.
0:24.4	Only eat after walking 10,000 steps.
0:28.4	Pie is only two steps from here.
0:30.4	Am I overthinking again?
0:32.0	Oh, the kids would really love this.
0:33.8	Fruit ruins.
0:35.0	Insulinance sensitivity.
0:35.6	You got to cut carbs for 30 days. Always no. Every time for $48. Fruit ruins. Insulin sensitivity. You got to cut carbs for 30 days.
0:38.6	Always track every time for $48.
0:41.0	Stop it.
0:42.0	Stop it.
	...

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