Have Republicans Given Up On ‘Draining The Swamp’?
It was the rallying cry of 2016, a slogan revitalized by Trump that represented a core pillar of the then-insurgent MAGA movement: “Drain the Swamp.”
Have Republicans Given Up On ‘Draining The Swamp’?
It was the rallying cry of 2016, a slogan revitalized by Trump that represented a core pillar of the then-insurgent MAGA movement: “Drain the Swamp.”
This was not the first time the catchy and potent slogan had been used. In fact, it had been used across the political spectrum for over a century, from early 1900s socialists to even Nancy Pelosi, who used it in 2006 after she became speaker and ended the GOP’s decade-long hold on the House. And, like “Make America Great Again,” Trump borrowed “Drain the Swamp” from former President Ronald Reagan, who was fond of the phrase throughout his presidency.
But, in the second Trump administration, its use has petered out. Ironically enough, the last time “Drain the Swamp” really made headlines was back in April, when a Democrat introduced legislation to ban lobbyists’ gifts and enact stricter rules on Washington’s infamous “revolving doors.” It was the first time, it seemed, that a Democrat since the early 2000s had actively tried to co-opt it against the Republican Party. Which leads one to ask: even though Republicans have been attacking the Deep State (which is a similar but still different beast than the whole of The Swamp), have they completely given up on draining our capital of nefarious actors?