A new commentary published by MS NOW argues that Donald Trump Jr. may be the “worst presidential relative ever,” accusing him of an unprecedented level of “shameless corruption and sheer moral repugnance” as he seeks to profit from his father’s presidency.

In the piece published Sunday morning, author and commentator Paul Waldman wrote that “problematic presidential family members are an American tradition as old as the republic.” He cited examples including Theodore Roosevelt’s hot-headed daughter, Alice Roosevelt, and Jimmy Carter’s “colorful buffoon” brother, Billy Carter. But under the second administration of President Donald Trump, Waldman argued, the president’s oldest son has established a “new standard by which all future misbehavior among presidential offspring should be judged.”

Waldman acknowledged that Donald Trump Jr. has not been accused of committing crimes. His argument instead focused on ethics and the weakness of anti-corruption rules, writing that “all that stops Don Jr. from enriching himself at public expense is shame or a sense of morality — and he is clearly possessed of neither.” The distinction is central to the column: presidential relatives can raise conflict-of-interest concerns even when they do not hold formal government posts or face criminal allegations. Waldman also suggested that the younger Trump appears to have been encouraged by his father’s own pursuit of personal enrichment while in office.

“When it comes to grasping for taxpayer money, shameless corruption and sheer moral repugnance, none who came before can hold a candle to Donald Trump Jr.,” Waldman wrote. “He has cemented his position as perhaps the most distasteful and ethically compromised presidential relative in American history — and his father isn’t even halfway through his second term.”

Waldman later wrote: “Don Jr. wasn’t just going to sit by and watch Dad have all the fun. So he has undertaken his own frenzy of dealmaking, all of it seemingly based on the fact that he’s the president’s son. Some of the enterprises are joint ventures with the whole family. There’s World Liberty Financial, a crypto company that has been the vehicle for some of the biggest players looking to give payoffs to the Trumps and get something in return. As an investigative report revealed, the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser secretly invested half a billion dollars in the company. Not long after, the Trump administration lifted export controls on computer chips the UAE desperately wants to create its own artificial intelligence infrastructure (Commerce Department staff objected to the change, but the White House cites the UAE’s position as a U.S. ally.)”

The article also said Donald Trump Jr. and his younger brother, Eric Trump, have found ways to benefit from increased U.S. government defense spending. Waldman wrote that the brothers have invested in smaller defense companies and then “watch as huge government contracts magically materialize.”

Another company in which they are extensively invested, Kaz Resources, received $1.6 billion in investments from the federal government, according to the article. Waldman also wrote that the president personally intervened to ensure the company received special access to tungsten mines in Kazakhstan as part of a new agreement with the country. Those claims form part of Waldman’s broader critique that private business interests tied to a president’s family can overlap with government decisions, making transparency and ethics safeguards especially important.

“Don Jr. has always had the air of a man desperate to please his indifferent father,” Waldman concluded. “This spring, the president couldn’t even be bothered to attend his son’s wedding. But if he keeps this up, he’ll be able to say, 'See Dad, I’m just as greedy and corrupt as you!' It’s an achievement no presidential relative can match.”