Unlike numerous other presidents who had spoken in the past about taking the government from the oligarchs who controlled it and giving it back to the people, Trump’s words didn’t herald a push to expand government power under the guise of working for the people. On the contrary, he was determined to expand the freedom Americans enjoyed and roll back government power.
The swamp, however, struck back hard, and Trump’s promise that power would be transferred back to the people remains unfulfilled. Trump has been criticized for failing to follow through on his promise, but at that time, no one knew just how entrenched and determined the swamp dwellers were.
In fact, before Trump was elected and the Washington bureaucracy rose against him, few people, if any, knew that there was a swamp at all. One of the most important results of the Trump presidency was not one anyone intended: it revealed the deep corruption and politicization of the civil service. Now, a more experienced Trump is again vowing to destroy the swamp, but the swamp-dwellers are insisting that they’re not going anywhere and will continue to run things. The gauntlet has been thrown down.
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