End of 'bellyaching': Trump's swamp talk becomes a nightmare

U.S. President Donald Trump attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Romina Amato

President Donald Trump ran for president in 2016 by promising to "drain the swamp," a reference to the rampant corruption in Washington that a supposed outsider like Trump would clean up. Flash forward a decade and, according to one journalist, Trump hasn't only failed to drain the swamp; he has made it far swampier than ever.

Importantly for everyone in American politics, voters are noticing — in a big way.

"Fox News poll released in mid-October found that “corruption in government” was voters’ top concern—above inflation, gas prices, and health care," wrote The New Yorker's Ruth Marcus on Sunday. "Eighty-eight per cent said that they were “extremely” or “very” concerned about it. Corruption “has steadily gained in importance on the list of the most critical issues facing the country,” Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, said. “I never remember corruption as an issue being as important as it is now.”"

Marcus added, "Corruption is always a tempting message for the party out of power. Donald Trump used that playbook in 2016, vowing to drain the Washington swamp. Bemoaning corruption is risk-free: no voters are in favor of it, even if they have differing interpretations of what the term entails. In the meantime, hitting corruption lets the opposition party duck the harder tasks of producing a detailed legislative agenda. But, in this cycle, what could catapult the issue from a topic of chronic bellyaching to an actual mechanism for changing votes is the gloomy economic climate. Voters who are feeling flush may be willing to tolerate a degree of self-dealing from politicians that becomes insupportable when grocery bills are high."

She continued that "corruption “is always a useful word, but it’s more effective at some times than others,” Robert Boatright, a political-science professor at Clark University and the co-author of the 2025 book “American Corruption Talk,” noted. “It’s a way to put your finger on people’s general dissatisfaction with our politicians, with our economy, with the state of the world.”"

From there Marcus went on to detail how Democrats are spending money focusing on Trump's corruption in key Senate races like North Carolina, Maine and Texas.

Republicans have also admitted that their party is, whether due to corruption or the economy or other reasons, seemingly doomed in the upcoming midterms.

“We’ve got a week left and we’re forced to talk about Mississippi,” Republican Party corruption former Trump Communications director Bryan Lanza told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. “I've been in politics for nearly 30 years. I don't think we've ever talked about Mississippi in a general election. And here's where we are.”

In October, former President Bill Clinton's Labor Secretary Robert Reich wrote for AlterNet that prices are going up in part because of the tariffs. "The tariffs are import taxes that have increased annual household costs by an estimated $1,100, according to The Budget Lab at Yale."

He continued, "Again, though, the price increases tell only half the story. Trump’s tariffs have enabled Trump to give out tariff waivers and carve-outs to industries and companies that do him favors."

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