Post-shame America

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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

America is reaching the pinnacle of a post-shame society, forged by Donald Trump and reinforced by powerful patrons Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Nearly 50 years after Richard Nixon resigned before being charged with a crime, the GOP is a month away from nominating a convicted felon for president. Polls say the race is extremely close. 🖼️ The big picture: While Trump may represent the most extreme example, he isn't the only one who has realized lack of shame can be a survival skill. Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose years of expensive private travel gifted by GOP megadonor Harlan Crow. Justice Samuel Alito refused to recuse himself from Jan. 6-related cases after acknowledging that his wife flew an upside-down flag — a symbol carried by pro-Trump rioters. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) are both running for re-election despite being indicted on bribery charges. Serial fabulist Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) clung to his seat so long that he became just the sixth person in U.S. history to be expelled from the House. Just yesterday: George Norcross, a titan of Democratic politics in New Jersey, defiantly sat in the front row as prosecutors unveiled a sweeping indictment accusing him of running a decade-long criminal enterprise. 👓 Between the lines: The "never back down" phenomenon has spread to corners of the business world in recent years — led by Elon Musk. Like Trump, the eccentric billionaire promotes baseless conspiracy theories to his legions of loyal followers — and relishes criticism from the mainstream media. Musk won approval for the largest pay package ever for the CEO of a public company, $44.9 billion, days after yet another report raised questions about his conduct with employees at his various companies. The bottom line: The Trump playbook shows that for some people at the apex of American power, every scandal you survive makes the next one a bit less damaging.