Maria Bartiromo Asks Donald Trump Why He Didn’t Drain the Swamp – Throughout former Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, “Drain the Swamp” was as popular a theme as “Build the Wall” and the famous “Lock Her Up!” slogan that referenced Hillary Clinton’s private email server scandal. Trump promised to clean up in Washington, D.C., removing RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) from power and choosing personnel who would help him deliver on the promises he made to the people.
Throughout his time in the White House, however, the former president made a number of personnel decisions that conservatives have come to strongly oppose. Among those personnel was former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the man who former President Donald Trump refused to fire and took guidance from throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump’s decision to follow the guidance of Fauci and other long-standing representatives of multiple government health agencies has since become a talking point for his main 2024 presidential contender Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. More than just a talking point for Trump’s inter-party opposition, however, his personnel decisions are even being questioned by public supporters of his campaign and presidency.
Here’s What Maria Bartiromo Asked Donald Trump
During an interview with the former president over the weekend, Bartiromo – who was named in a lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News over allegations that the anchor, among others, perpetuated falsehoods about election fraud in 2020 – told the president that he “didn’t drain the swamp.”
Trump told the anchor that the mistake he made during his first administration “would be people,” admitting that he hired people that he now considers “weak,” “incompetent,” and “pathetic.”
“I know the people now better than anybody’s ever known the people. I know the good ones, the bad ones, the dumb ones, the smart ones, I think the loyal ones,” Trump said, prompting Bartiromo to press the point of draining the swamp.
“Well, you didn’t drain the swamp, like you said you would. You didn’t drain the swamp,” Bartiromo said.
While Trump admitted that he made errors when hiring some members of staff, however, he refused to admit that he did not follow through on his promise.
“I did. I fired Comey. I fired a lot of people,” Trump said.
As it stands, Trump’s answer appears to be enough for many Republican voters. Despite a recent poll showing Trump’s lead over his main rival Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire narrowing, the former president still enjoys a significant lead over all over candidates.
At least for now, Donald Trump and his claim that he did drain the swamp – even if he didn’t – may just be enough.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
