President Donald Trump walks down the steps of Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Florida, on October 17. Alex Wong/Getty Images
The idea of a president convincing his own Justice Department to furnish him with nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer cash seems too absurd to take seriously.
Putting aside unfathomable ethical implications, such a move would be one of the most glaring examples of a political tin ear in modern times, as many Americans struggle to pay rent or buy groceries.
For this reason, there must be a good chance that Donald Trump’s reported claims for damages over the DOJ’s past investigations into his conduct is a step too far even for him.
Yet Trump has often fashioned a new normality with his outlandish moves. His life in business and politics has bee