As reported by @ddiamond last week, starting this week the Trump administration is spending $20 million of taxpayer money mailing out almost 40 million letters promising seniors $200 discount cards. I think we're underestimating the potential impact of this illegal abuse. /Thread https://twitter.com/politico/status/1316043960222134274

2. The whole scheme would cost $8 billion, none of it authorized by Congress. But just mailing the announcement is a $20 million direct mail campaign to seniors funded by taxpayers. For comparison, the Trump campaign's ~entire broadcast ad budget for September~ was $20 million.

3. This needs to be more of a priority for watchdogs and journalists. As of now, it gets lost as one more crazy story during S Ct hearings. It reminds me of the hacking of emails in the fall of 2016. We didn't absorb what a criminal scandal it was until after the election.

4. The Trump White House and CMS leadership are raiding the Medicare trust fund to substantially subsidize their flailing presidential campaign. It's not legal. It may be criminal. It's a big story and a big problem. /End thread