Anybody who even casually tuned into the 2016 campaign knows that one of Donald Trump’s favorite campaign slogans was, “Drain the Swamp.”
But over the course of the past three years of this administration, the corruption and special interest influence that so many Americans loathe has only grown worse.
According to The Associated Press, Trump has put more ex-lobbyists in his Cabinet over the course of the past three years than either Barack Obama or George W. Bush did in their two terms in the White House.
More from the report:
In less than three years, President Donald Trump has named more former lobbyists to Cabinet-level posts than his most recent predecessors did in eight, putting a substantial amount of oversight in the hands of people with ties to the industries they’re regulating.
The Cabinet choices are another sign that Trump’s populist pledge to “drain the swamp” is a catchy campaign slogan but not a serious attempt to change the way Washington works. Instead of staring down “the unholy alliance of lobbyists and donors and special interests” as Trump recently declared, the influence industry has flourished during his administration.
The amount spent in 2019 on lobbying the U.S. government is on pace to match or exceed last year’s total of $3.4 billion, the most since 2010, according to the political money website Open Secrets. Trump also has pulled in hefty contributions from industries with business before his administration, and his hotel near the White House has been a magnet for lobbyists and foreign interests since he was elected.
Trump had no intention of draining the swamp
As Trump continues to flagrantly use his office for self-enrichment, it’s clear his campaign promise to rid Washington of corruption and special interest influence was just one of the many lies he told his supporters to get elected.
The majority of the country that voted against this president in 2016 recognized early on that Trump is and always has been a lying con artist – whether in his personal life or business career.
It remains to be seen whether Trump’s supporters, who spent months chanting “drain the swamp!” at MAGA rallies, will recognize what a fraud he is.
I wouldn’t hold your breath.
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