Fox News host Maria Bartiromo told former President Donald Trump on Sunday that he failed to deliver on his pledge to “drain the swamp” when he was president.
Trump made “draining the swamp” in Washington, D.C. a key promise during his 2016 presidential campaign, promising to crack down on special interests critics accused of holding undue influence over decision-making in the federal government. The then-candidate pledged to change the way D.C. operates by rejecting these special interests while bringing in fresh faces into his administration. Trump’s critics, however, have pointed out that many key members of his administration had ties to powerful corporations or were already entrenched politicians.
The former president’s relationships with many of his appointees and Cabinet officials have soured in recent years, as a number of former allies voiced criticisms about his administration or his ongoing legal woes.
Trump defended his record of “draining the swamp” during an interview with Bartiromo that aired on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. During the interview, Bartiromo confronted Trump about his administration officials after the former president said he would make changes to who he hires if reelected next November.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Turning Point Action USA Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday. Fox host Maria Bartiromo confronted Trump over his 2016 campaign pledge to “drain the swamp” during an interview on Sunday.
GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images
He admitted that there were several members of his administration that were “mistakes” that he appointed because he “didn’t know the people,” as he was not as involved in politics prior to the 2016 presidential election.
Bartiromo told Trump that his appointments suggest he did not live up to his campaign promise to “drain the swamp.”
“Well, you didn’t drain the swamp like you said you would. You didn’t drain the swamp,” the Fox News host said.
Trump defended his record, saying that his firing of former FBI Director James Comey, who he sparred with over the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and other officials proves that he managed to “drain the swamp” during his four-year tenure.
“I did. I fired Comey. I fired a lot of people. A lot of the people I fired… I fired Comey very early, and there was question as to whether or not I could. But I fired Comey. If I didn’t fire Comey, I don’t think I would have been able to serve out my term.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s campaign for further comment via email.
Trump has made attacks on the Washington, D.C. status-quo a bedrock of his 2024 presidential campaign, this time targeting the Department of Justice (DOJ) amid his ongoing legal troubles. He has accused the DOJ of unjustly targeting him and other conservatives for political reasons.
However, Trump’s former campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson last month ridiculed Republicans over their outrage over DOJ “weaponization.” Pierson questioned “what exactly” Trump was “expecting to happen” by abandoning his pledge to drain the swamp.
“He decided NOT to drain the swamp AND appointed the very people who tried to prevent his 2016 win to TOP posts in the swamp. He even kept the Obama holdovers for crying out loud. What exactly were you expecting to happen? How many times do you have to get punched in the face before you realize that it’s not because he loves you?” she tweeted.
I find it hysterical that the weaponization of the DOJ is suddenly a new thing.
People voted for Trump because he claimed to want to #DrainTheSwamp. The Deep State was a pinnacle of the 2016 campaign, and one of the main reasons I chose to work for him.
He decided NOT to…
— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) June 14, 2023
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