drain the swamp
Oust entrenched bureaucrats
Drain the swamp means to root out corruption or entrenched interests, especially in government.
The metaphor evokes clearing stagnant, disease-breeding water to make land usable.
The phrase gained prominence in American politics during the 2016 presidential campaign as a promise to remove corrupt Washington insiders: He said he'd drain the swamp, but hired the same lobbyists as everyone else.
- transparencyState of being see-through
- whistleblowingExposing hidden wrongdoing internally
- wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- purificationRemoval of contaminants
campaign finance · lobbying · special interests · deep state · career politicians · revolving door · ethics · ecosystem restoration · oversight · accountability · marsh · renewal · detoxification · populism · grass roots · revitalization · anti-corruption laws · term limits
- Political Quotesall men are created equal, Gettysburg Address, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, nothing to fear
- populismpopulism, demagogue, demagoguery, anti-elitism, anti-establishment
- propagandapropaganda, brainwashing, disinformation, misinformation, indoctrination
- Trump EraDonald Trump, MAGA, Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago, Ivanka Trump
- Trumpismsfake news, bigly, tremendous, huge, MAGA
drain the swampbusiness as usual
Continuation of normal routine
institutionalize · circle the wagons · go along to get along · play ball
drain the swamppay to play
Fee required for participation
look the other way · play the game · play favorites · feather one's nest
drain, drains, drained, draining, drainage, drainer, swamp, swamps, swamped