Donald Trump used the White House lawn to film a car commercial for Tesla in what might be the first time ever a President of the United States of America has officially endorsed a product. He was even provided a sales pitch. Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, also gave a recommendation to “buy Tesla” because one corrupt government endorsement wasn’t enough. And it worked.

The reason this is unprecedented and corrupt is because everything about it is illegal. And there’s good reason for that. According to Barron’s, “Lutnick may have stood to gain personally from his appearance, as well: the financial firm he founded, Cantor Fitzgerald, had nearly $300 million in Tesla shares on its books as of the end of last year, according to recent filing.” If they have the power to sway financial markets, they have the opportunity to sway them in ways they can benefit from. While some lawmakers are trying to fight, others are cashing in. They’re representing the 1% and repressing the rest of us.