Donald Trump is having an absolutely fantastic day. Thomas Massie’s primary defeat means he’s vanquished one of his most annoying opponents, his beloved ballroom is getting larger each time he looks at it, and the Department of Justice has just issued a statement barring him and his family from being pursued for tax matters.
Time to break out a Diet Coke, order in a McDonald’s, and maybe squeeze in a celebratory screening of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Bloodsport.
He’ll be particularly pleased with his Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publishing the settlement agreement in his battle with the IRS, which explicitly lays it all out:
This is INSANE: Trump’s DOJ says the government is now “FOREVER BARRED” from pursuing tax claims against Trump or his family as part of the “settlement.”
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 19, 2026
The one-page document, signed by Deputy AG Todd Blanche, also blocks claims tied to pending tax returns.
The most corrupt… pic.twitter.com/UZ484ymiBX
This clarifies that “The United States RELEASES, WAIVES, ACQUITS and FOREVER DISCHARGES” Trump, saying the nation is now “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing” for claims and consequentials against not just him, but “related or affiliated individuals”. That includes (without limitation) Trump’s “family or others” and any of his companies.
Kleptocracy beckons
In an insanely wide-ranging declaration, the order underlines that it doesn’t apply only to the present case, but also to “any matters that were raised or could have been raised in the Case or the Pending Agency claims”, future “lawfare and/or weaponization” (hazy terms that a good lawyer can argue apply to literally anything), and “any matters currently pending or that could be pending“.
Breaking news: The Justice Department expanded the government’s settlement deal over legal claims brought by President Trump, adding a provision that would prevent the IRS from pursuing past tax claims or audits of him, his family, or his businesses. https://t.co/9uiltpcwDh
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 19, 2026
Or, to put it another way, Trump, his family, and his companies now have immunity – perhaps in perpetuity – not to pay tax. If the IRS came for them with a bill, they could simply brandish this order and point to the line where it says “FOREVER BARRED” and argue that as this is a matter that “could be pending” the order covers it.
Benjamin Franklin famously said: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Well, Trump can now cross out “taxes” from that phrase. Next up, cheating death! Well, he’s apparently on a roll right now, so maybe he’ll discover the fountain of life under Mar-a-Lago!
