By Matt Underwood Trump promised to drain the swamp. Now the Epstein filth swim free. It’s pretty wild to think back to the 2016 campaign, isn’t it? One of the biggest rallying cries was the promise to “drain the swamp.” It resonated with a lot of people, this idea that Washington was filled with corruption and self-serving elites. It was a powerful message, a promise of change. But then, things took a turn that a lot of us, at least those with a sense of history and what to expect from populists, saw coming.
The irony is almost too much to bear. The very person who pledged to clean up the swamp seems to have become deeply entangled in its murkiness. And perhaps no issue highlights this, and the betrayal of promises better, than the Epstein case.
We’re talking about a scandal involving a man who was allegedly trafficking underage girls, a man with connections to some of the most powerful people in the world. The fact that the files related to this case remain largely sealed is a slap in the face to the promise of transparency. The very people who supported the “drain the swamp” rhetoric are the ones now defending the continued secrecy, or, unbelievably, claiming it’s okay to let those involved off the hook.
The story of Alex Acosta, Trump’s Secretary of Labor, further illustrates this point. Acosta, as a U.S. Attorney, famously gave Epstein a sweetheart deal in 2008, a deal that seemed to let him off the hook far too easily. What’s worse, Trump appointed Acosta to a high-level position, seemingly rewarding his handling of the Epstein case. Did he reward him for looking the other way?
The accusations swirling around Trump himself are serious and troubling. The claim that he has sexually abused children is, of course, something that should be taken very seriously, but must be treated as unsubstantiated without evidence, but the withholding of the files and the shielding of those who may have been involved in Epstein’s alleged crimes raise some very disturbing questions. Is he protecting himself? Is he protecting his friends? Is it both? The longer those files remain hidden, the more those questions will be asked.
This isn’t just about Epstein; it’s about the broader pattern of behavior. It’s about a system where powerful people seem to be able to get away with anything. This isn’t draining the swamp; it’s replacing the creatures of the old swamp with those of the new, equally, if not more, corrupt. It’s not hard to see that the promises of “draining the swamp” were just empty rhetoric, a way to get elected.
Let’s be frank: The swamp isn’t being drained; it’s being expanded. The Trump era seems to be doing this with people of questionable ethics, placing them in positions of power, and protecting the well-connected from accountability. And the lack of transparency surrounding the Epstein case is the perfect symbol of this.
The media is right to call out the hypocrisy, the broken promises. The people who are most ardent in their support seem to ignore the facts. And that is the crux of the issue, isn’t it? The issue is that it is so easy to fool some people.
The very people who should be held accountable are the ones seemingly protected. And in the case of Trump, it seems as though it’s more important to hold onto power, and to allow corruption and, perhaps even, criminal behavior to flourish, and so that he can stay in power.
The “swamp” wasn’t some nebulous concept; it was supposed to be a promise of reform, a pledge to expose corruption. Instead, it became a cover for the swamp creatures, the truly reprehensible actions and figures, the powerful individuals seemingly above the law. The public deserves answers. The victims deserve justice. And the promise of “draining the swamp” deserves to be called out for what it was: a cynical manipulation of the people.