Corey Lewandowski says draining the swamp is 'probably somewhere down the bottom' of Trump's to-do list


Donald Trump has confirmed that the chant to "lock up" Hillary Clinton was nothing more than a slogan on the campaign trail and not to be taken literally. Now it looks like his promise to "drain the swamp" might also have been nothing more than a phrase with a nice ring to it.
Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, told the hosts of Fox & Friends on Thursday morning that draining the swamp "is probably somewhere down the bottom" of Trump's to-do list. "I think at the end of the day, it's about the economy," Lewandowski went on. "It's about creating jobs, fixing the bad trade deals. So draining the swamp is a larger narrative, but what it's really about is putting people back to work."
It is perhaps an unsurprising about-face from Lewandowski. "Draining the swamp" is a term that "is not just about lobbying and politicians [but] also about consultants," as another former Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, put it. Lewandowski announced Wednesday that he is launching a government relations and political consulting firm with former Donald Trump adviser Barry Bennet.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is serving as an adviser to the president-elect, told NPR on Wednesday that he's been informed Trump "just disclaims" the swamp slogan. "He now says it was cute, but he doesn't want to use it anymore," Gingrich said. Jeva Lange
Update 11:44 a.m.:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges