> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://libertys-lens.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Law and Disorder: Trump’s War on Crime vs. the Criminals He Enables - URL: https://libertys-lens.ghost.io/law-and-disorder-trumps-war-on-crime/ - Published: 2025-09-10T13:03:43.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-13T16:52:11.000Z - Description: Trump blames Democrats for violence as he invades American cities—then pardons offenders who reoffend and elevates men with sex‑crime histories to roles touching kids. - Author: Graham Baughman - Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1786639647847, #Import 2026-08-13 16:47 President Trump is once again deploying troops to American cities, insisting he alone can “solve” our crime problem. In Washington, he asserted control over local policing and sent 800 National Guard troops to “reestablish law and order,” even as recent data showed violent crime at multi‑decade lows in the city ([TIME](https://time.com/7308904/dc-national-guard-trump-troops/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). He is also exploiting the horrific murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska—posting that “Democrats have her blood on their hands”—to fuel a broader law‑and‑order campaign message ([POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/08/trump-blames-democrats-murder-ukrainian-refugee-00551419?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/da/86/da86ac05-de21-4736-8a14-89823a268247/content/images/2026/08/685a8353-d57e-4ec1-be05-4bf8adb0709a_1536x1024-jpeg.png) [Subscribe now](#/portal/signup) But if we’re going to talk about who’s enabling criminals, we should look at Trump’s own record: sweeping January 6 pardons for violent offenders who were then arrested or charged again; clemency for white‑collar fraudsters who quickly jumped back into crime; the elevation of a registered sex offender to a federally backed youth fitness council; meetings with Ghislaine Maxwell followed by her transfer to a minimum‑security prison camp—an irregular placement for a sex offender. This isn’t law and order. It’s lawless favoritism with victims in the crossfire ([Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-recipients-are-being-charged-new-crimes-2022980?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). ## The Stagecraft: Troops in U.S. Cities, “Crime” as a Campaign Prop Trump’s second‑term deployments mark a sharp break with modern norms limiting military involvement in domestic law enforcement. Legal scholars warn that using troops for routine crime control blurs civilian‑military lines that exist for a reason ([The Conversation](https://theconversation.com/trumps-deployment-of-the-national-guard-to-fight-crime-blurs-the-legal-distinction-between-the-police-and-the-military-264548?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). In August, Trump seized on D.C., deploying National Guard forces and threatening to expand the model to other Democratic‑led cities, despite the city’s declining violent crime ([TIME](https://time.com/7308904/dc-national-guard-trump-troops/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). This is theater—a show of force timed to campaign narratives—while the administration simultaneously grants clemency to offenders who then commit new crimes. --- ## The Pardon Pipeline: When “Hostages” Hurt Again On Day One, Trump issued blanket pardons to roughly 1,500 January 6 defendants—calling them “hostages”—and soon after, at least 10 to 12 of those recipients were rearrested or charged again ([Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-recipients-are-being-charged-new-crimes-2022980?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The pattern isn’t isolated to J6: Trump’s first‑term clemency docket included notorious white‑collar offenders; multiple recipients have since been charged with new crimes, from domestic violence to fresh fraud schemes ([NBC](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/health-care-fraudster-philip-esformes-latest-trump-clemency-recipient-rcna175681?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/da/86/da86ac05-de21-4736-8a14-89823a268247/content/images/2026/08/4d75eb98-e003-436f-9017-f48865f74797_784x581.png) ([Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-recipients-are-being-charged-new-crimes-2022980?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/06/arrest-trump-pardon-insurrection/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Law&Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/crime/jan-6-riot-suspect-facing-charges-of-child-pornography-possession-sexual-exploitation-of-a-minor/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/30/emily-hernandez-sentenced-fatal-car-crash/78047420007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Chicago Sun‑Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2025/08/19/former-jan-6-defendant-gets-17-years-for-wrong-way-crash-that-killed-skokie-woman?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [WUSA9](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/former-jan-6-defendant-convicted-on-all-counts-in-false-threat-firearms-trial-taylor-taranto-obama-podesta-trump-kalorama/65-f56c5308-dd16-4752-9b2e-dd461bb9efb6?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2025/02/07/jan-6-rioters-pardoned-criminal-records-sex-crimes-death?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [WUSA9](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/january-6-capitol-riot-zachary-alam-donald-trump-pardon/65-18b573a8-b4c3-4072-9493-67cb405fc2a1?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Law&Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/i-finagled-and-ponzied-and-lied-twice-convicted-fraudster-who-was-granted-early-release-by-trump-is-charged-with-committing-financial-crimes-again/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/health-care-fraudster-philip-esformes-latest-trump-clemency-recipient-rcna175681?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) ## Case Files: The Sexual Predation & Violent Harm After Trump’s Pardons - **Theodore Middendorf** — J6 defendant (property destruction); already sentenced in 2024 to **19 years** for predatory sexual assault of a 7‑year‑old ([Axios](https://www.axios.com/2025/02/07/jan-6-rioters-pardoned-criminal-records-sex-crimes-death?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **David Paul Daniel** — J6 assault plea; later **charged with CSAM/sexual exploitation** based on evidence uncovered during the J6 probe ([Law&Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/crime/jan-6-riot-suspect-facing-charges-of-child-pornography-possession-sexual-exploitation-of-a-minor/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **Shane Jason Woods** — J6 assault; convicted of **aggravated DUI & reckless homicide** for a 2022 wrong‑way crash that killed Lauren Wegner ([Chicago Sun‑Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2025/08/19/former-jan-6-defendant-gets-17-years-for-wrong-way-crash-that-killed-skokie-woman?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **Emily Hernandez** — J6 misdemeanor; **10‑year sentence** for a 2022 drunk‑driving crash that killed a Missouri mother and injured her husband ([USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/30/emily-hernandez-sentenced-fatal-car-crash/78047420007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **Also notable**: Daniel Ball (felon‑in‑possession gun case) ([Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-recipients-are-being-charged-new-crimes-2022980?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)); Taylor Taranto (false bomb threat to a federal facility; firearms convictions) ([WUSA9](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/former-jan-6-defendant-convicted-on-all-counts-in-false-threat-firearms-trial-taylor-taranto-obama-podesta-trump-kalorama/65-f56c5308-dd16-4752-9b2e-dd461bb9efb6?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)); Zachary Alam (post‑pardon home invasion arrest) ([WUSA9](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/january-6-capitol-riot-zachary-alam-donald-trump-pardon/65-18b573a8-b4c3-4072-9493-67cb405fc2a1?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)); Andrew Taake (wanted on pre‑existing charge of online solicitation of a minor) ([Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/06/arrest-trump-pardon-insurrection/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) ## Not Just J6: White‑Collar Clemency, New Crimes Trump’s pardons weren’t just about the mob that stormed the Capitol. They extended to some of the most notorious white-collar criminals in modern history—people whose crimes siphoned billions from taxpayers and investors. These weren’t “political prisoners.” They were profiteers. And some of them wasted no time proving that clemency was a green light, not a second chance. Take **Philip Esformes**, the architect of a $1.3 billion Medicare fraud scheme. Trump commuted his 20-year sentence in 2020, citing “compassion.” Within months, Esformes was back in handcuffs—this time for domestic violence, witness tampering, and property damage. Prosecutors also revealed he still faced unresolved federal fraud counts, which he later pleaded to ([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/health-care-fraudster-philip-esformes-latest-trump-clemency-recipient-rcna175681?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). Then there’s **Jonathan Braun**, a convicted drug trafficker and predatory lender whose payday-loan empire preyed on small businesses. Trump cut his sentence short in 2021\. Braun’s next headline? Assault charges for attacking his wife and father-in-law ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/22/trump-clemency-recipient-jonathan-braun-arrest-assault.html?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). And **Eliyahu Weinstein**, a serial fraudster who once bragged about “finagling and Ponzi-ing,” walked free thanks to Trump. He promptly launched a new scam—this one bilking investors out of $35 million in a bogus medical-supply deal ([Law&Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/i-finagled-and-ponzied-and-lied-twice-convicted-fraudster-who-was-granted-early-release-by-trump-is-charged-with-committing-financial-crimes-again/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). These aren’t outliers. They’re the logical outcome of a clemency policy driven by loyalty and access, not justice. Trump didn’t just forgive crimes—he empowered criminals to commit more. --- ## From Pardons to Proximity: A Registered Sex Offender in a National Role Trump revived the Presidential Fitness Test and re‑stocked the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition—then **appointed Lawrence Taylor**, a registered sex offender (2011 conviction involving a 16‑year‑old), to the council. The council influences school fitness programs and youth health messaging nationwide ([News4JAX](https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2025/07/31/trump-plans-to-revive-the-presidential-fitness-test-for-american-schoolchildren/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [NewsWeek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-inviting-sex-offender-white-house-2107403?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). Putting a man with a child‑sex conviction in a position connected to school programs isn’t just reckless—it’s an invitation for risk. ## The Epstein Question: An Alleged Job Offer This leads us to a claim made by Epstein’s former butler, Valdson Vieira Cotrin. Cotrin claims that after Trump’s 2016 victory, Epstein told him he’d been **offered a job in the new administration**—and that he declined ([The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/08/jeffrey-epstein-butler-18-years-valdson-cotrin/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). Cotrin says the conversation happened in a car ride from the Paris airport: Epstein allegedly said, *“Trump asked me to work for him in the new government.”* There’s no documentary evidence to back this up—no emails, no official records, no corroborating witnesses. But the allegation is explosive because of what we do know: - Epstein had already been convicted in 2008 for soliciting sex from a minor and served 13 months in a Florida jail. - Trump and Epstein were socially close in the early 2000s; Trump once called Epstein a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” - Trump now claims he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 for “stealing” staff, but the timeline of their falling-out remains murky and this allegation chips away at that narrative. Would Trump really have considered bringing Epstein into his government? We can’t prove it. But given Trump’s track record of elevating problematic figures—including a registered sex offender to a federal fitness council—the claim feels less like a wild conspiracy and more like a plausible piece of a disturbing pattern. ## Ghislaine Maxwell: Meetings, Transfers, and the Optics of Favor On the topic of Epstein and elevating, rather than punishing, criminals; Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime accomplice, was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking minors and sentenced to 20 years in prison. For years, she was held at a facility in Florida with other prisoners serving serious sentences, including violent criminals. Then, in late July 2025, as the Trump administration is hounded by the MAGA base for the release of the Epstein files, they made an unusual move: - Maxwell spent **nine hours over two days** in closed-door meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—Trump’s former personal defense attorney—at a U.S. Attorney’s Office, not in prison. - Days later, she was quietly transferred to **FPC Bryan**, a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas—a facility nicknamed “Club Fed” for its dorm-style housing and lack of perimeter fencing. Why does this matter? Because Bureau of Prisons policy explicitly states that sex offenders—especially those convicted of contact offenses involving minors—are **not eligible for minimum-security placement** without a special waiver. Experts call such transfers “highly unusual” and “unprecedented” for someone convicted of crimes as severe as Maxwell’s ([POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/01/ghislaine-maxwell-prison-doj-meeting-00488424?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The optics are terrible: - A convicted sex trafficker gets a cushier prison after a private meeting with a Trump appointee who used to be his personal lawyer. - Trump publicly insists he knew nothing about the transfer, but also reminds reporters that he has the power to pardon Maxwell. Transcripts later showed Maxwell denied seeing Trump behave inappropriately towards any victims ([ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/US/epstein-associate-ghislaine-maxwell-shes-aware-improper-activity/story?id=124900787&ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)), a convenient coincidence given Trump is known to be mentioned in the Epstein files per his own Justice Department. Trump would, of course, want something on the record exonerating him in the event said files ever came to light. Is this a quid pro quo? We can’t say for certain. But the sequence—meeting, then transfer—combined with Trump’s history of dangling favors over witnesses, makes the question unavoidable. ## What’s Proven vs. What’s Alleged For the sake of transparency, let’s be clear: **Proven:** Pardons/commutations for violent and white‑collar offenders who later reoffended; Lawrence Taylor’s appointment to a youth‑fitness council despite his sex‑offender status; DOJ meetings with Maxwell and her transfer to a minimum‑security facility. **Alleged:** Epstein job offer (single‑source claim, unverified); quid‑pro‑quo intent behind Maxwell’s transfer (suggestive sequence, unproven). Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way… --- ## Red String Politics vs. Real‑World Harm Trump loves to play detective with America’s tragedies—pinning murders on Democrats, spinning crime stats into campaign fodder, and sending troops into U.S. cities as if he’s the last line of defense against chaos. But pull back the curtain, and the red string on his conspiracy board points straight back to him. He pardoned violent offenders who went on to kill, sexually exploit, and terrorize again. He commuted the sentences of white-collar predators who promptly launched new scams or assaulted their families. He elevated a convicted child predator to a national fitness council tied to school programs. He allegedly considered giving Jeffrey Epstein—a man already convicted of abusing minors—a role in his first administration. And under his watch, Ghislaine Maxwell, the only person convicted for Epstein’s trafficking ring, was moved to a minimum-security prison after a private meeting with his former personal attorney. Trump claims Democrats have “blood on their hands.” But the blood, the broken lives, the shattered trust—they trace back to his own decisions. This isn’t law and order. It’s lawlessness in a tailored suit, and it puts America’s most vulnerable—our kids—at risk. --- ### For readers who want the receipts - Trump deploys National Guard to D.C. despite falling violent crime — ([TIME](https://time.com/7308904/dc-national-guard-trump-troops/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Trump blames Democrats for murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska — ([POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/08/trump-blames-democrats-murder-ukrainian-refugee-00551419?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - At least 10–12 pardoned J6 defendants reoffend — ([Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-recipients-are-being-charged-new-crimes-2022980?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Theodore Middendorf sentenced to 19 years for predatory sexual assault of a child — ([Axios](https://www.axios.com/2025/02/07/jan-6-rioters-pardoned-criminal-records-sex-crimes-death?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - David Paul Daniel charged with CSAM and sexual exploitation — ([Law&Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/crime/jan-6-riot-suspect-facing-charges-of-child-pornography-possession-sexual-exploitation-of-a-minor/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Emily Hernandez sentenced to 10 years for fatal DUI crash — ([USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/30/emily-hernandez-sentenced-fatal-car-crash/78047420007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Shane Jason Woods convicted of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide — ([Chicago Sun‑Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2025/08/19/former-jan-6-defendant-gets-17-years-for-wrong-way-crash-that-killed-skokie-woman?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Daniel Ball arrested for illegal firearm possession after pardon — ([Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-recipients-are-being-charged-new-crimes-2022980?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Taylor Taranto convicted for false bomb threat and firearms offenses — ([WUSA9](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/former-jan-6-defendant-convicted-on-all-counts-in-false-threat-firearms-trial-taylor-taranto-obama-podesta-trump-kalorama/65-f56c5308-dd16-4752-9b2e-dd461bb9efb6?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Zachary Alam arrested for home invasion after pardon — ([WUSA9](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/january-6-capitol-riot-zachary-alam-donald-trump-pardon/65-18b573a8-b4c3-4072-9493-67cb405fc2a1?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Andrew Taake wanted for online solicitation of a minor — ([Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/06/arrest-trump-pardon-insurrection/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Philip Esformes arrested for domestic violence and witness tampering after commutation — ([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/health-care-fraudster-philip-esformes-latest-trump-clemency-recipient-rcna175681?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Jonathan Braun charged with assaults on wife and father‑in‑law — ([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/health-care-fraudster-philip-esformes-latest-trump-clemency-recipient-rcna175681?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Eliyahu Weinstein charged in new $35M fraud scheme — ([Law&Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/i-finagled-and-ponzied-and-lied-twice-convicted-fraudster-who-was-granted-early-release-by-trump-is-charged-with-committing-financial-crimes-again/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Lawrence Taylor appointed to President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition — ([News4JAX](https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2025/07/31/trump-plans-to-revive-the-presidential-fitness-test-for-american-schoolchildren/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)| [Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-inviting-sex-offender-white-house-2107403?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Epstein’s butler claims Trump offered Epstein a job after 2016 election — ([The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/08/jeffrey-epstein-butler-18-years-valdson-cotrin/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Maxwell’s DOJ meetings, then transfer to minimum‑security camp — ([POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/01/ghislaine-maxwell-prison-doj-meeting-00488424?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root)