Did Trump Redefine What Makes You ‘Hireable’?
In the United States, a felony conviction typically strips people of access to the basic tools needed to rebuild a life: employment, housing, education, and the right to vote. Nearly half of those released from prison end up back incarcerated within three years — not due to lack of ambition, but because of the barriers created by having a criminal record.
But none of that applied to Donald Trump.
Despite 34 felony convictions, Trump never lost access to wealth, power, or platforms. He didn’t serve jail time, pay fines, or face meaningful legal consequences. Instead, he was rewarded — with a second shot at the presidency, handed back by both the Electoral College and millions of voters who decided none of it mattered.
The Rules Shifted — But Only for Some
To be fair, this isn’t just about Trump. It’s about a system that has always made space for white privilege and elite power while gatekeeping everyone else. That’s why initiatives like affirmative action and DEI were created — to counterbalance a hiring landscape rigged against qualified people of color, women, and other marginalized communities.
Now, in the name of “merit,” those programs are being dismantled. Trump signed the executive orders to cut federal DEI programs. Corporations followed. Schools, agencies, and private employers are pulling back their diversity efforts under political pressure.
All while the country just hired a felon to the highest office in the land.
The contradiction is sharp: a job seeker with a criminal record might be disqualified from working at a warehouse — but Trump, with 34 convictions, gets the nuclear codes.
What Does ‘Qualified’ Even Mean Anymore?
If a felony no longer disqualifies someone from being president, what does that mean for how we define “qualified” in this country?
The answer seems clear: it depends on who your employer is.
In this case, the American people appear more lenient to the matter — electing a convicted felon to the highest office — while most businesses and companies still bar people with criminal records from even entry-level jobs.
Power forgives what policy punishes. And for the rest of us, the standard will never change.
Until then, goodnight and good luck.
