May 14, 2026
Trump didn’t drain the swamp. He turned it into a cesspool | Steven Greenhouse
In his article, Steven Greenhouse argues that Donald Trump has not only failed to drain the swamp in Washington but has transformed it into a cesspool of corruption and conflicts of interest. He supports this claim by detailing instances where Trump and his family have benefited financially from political decisions, such as pardoning individuals linked to their business interests and accepting significant donations from corporations in exchange for favorable policies. This matters because it highlights the erosion of ethical standards in government, raising concerns about accountability and the integrity of democratic institutions.
Stoic Response
Correspondence to a Roman Magistrate
From Seneca and Musonius Rufus: A Call for Integrity in Governance
Esteemed Magistrate,
As we navigate the turbulent waters of governance, it is imperative that we reflect on the moral fabric that binds our society. In the words of Musonius Rufus, “The true philosopher is one who is able to see the truth of things.” In this spirit, we must confront the reality of our leadership and the ethical decay that threatens the very essence of our Republic.
Highlighting the Stakes
Consider the alarming statistic that over half of the 346 major donors to President Trump’s projects have directly benefited from subsequent actions taken by his administration. This is not merely a matter of financial gain; it reflects a systemic erosion of accountability that undermines the trust of the citizenry. As Seneca wisely stated, “No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not allowed to prove himself.” The adversity we face today is the corruption festering within our institutions, and it is our duty to confront it.
The Moral Imperative
The moral stakes are profound. When leaders prioritize personal enrichment over public service, they sow discord and disillusionment among the populace. The integrity of our democratic institutions hangs in the balance, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the principles of justice and virtue are upheld. Musonius Rufus reminds us, “A good man will not allow himself to be corrupted, nor will he corrupt others.” We must strive to cultivate leaders who embody these virtues, lest we descend further into a cesspool of corruption.
Practical Maxims for Governance
- Uphold Transparency: Ensure that all financial dealings and political contributions are disclosed and scrutinized.
- Foster Accountability: Establish mechanisms for independent oversight to investigate conflicts of interest and ethical breaches.
- Promote Civic Engagement: Encourage active participation from citizens to hold leaders accountable for their actions.
- Embrace Ethical Leadership: Prioritize character and integrity in the selection of public officials, recognizing that true leadership is rooted in service to the common good.
In closing, let us heed the wisdom of our forebears and commit ourselves to the arduous task of restoring integrity to our governance. The future of our Republic depends on it.
Yours in virtue,
Seneca and Musonius Rufus
Article Rewritten Through Stoic Lens
Reflections on the Nature of Power and Corruption
Acceptance of Nature's Order
In the unfolding events of our time, I observe the rise of a man who professes to cleanse the political landscape yet finds himself enmeshed in the very fabric of its corruption. The nature of power is such that it often reveals the character of those who wield it. I must remind myself that this is not a deviation from the natural order but rather a manifestation of it. Each individual, when faced with the allure of power, must choose their path, and many falter.
The Illusion of the Swamp
The promise to "drain the swamp" is but a whisper in the wind, for it is not the swamp that requires draining but the hearts of men. The gilded façade of wealth and influence obscures the truth: that integrity is often sacrificed at the altar of ambition. This reality serves as a reminder to cultivate virtue within myself, for the true measure of a man is not found in his wealth but in his character.
The Pursuit of Wealth
It is evident that the pursuit of financial gain has become a guiding principle for many, including those in positions of power. The transactions of the powerful, be they pardons or contracts, reflect a deeper moral decay. Yet, I must not bemoan their actions but instead seek to understand the lessons they impart. In every act of greed, there lies an opportunity for virtue—an opportunity to choose honesty over deceit, to prioritize the common good over personal gain.
The Role of Conflict
The entanglements of family and business interests reveal the complexities of loyalty and ambition. The intertwining of personal and political motives serves as a cautionary tale. It reminds me that true loyalty must be to the principles of justice and equity, not to the fleeting rewards of power. In witnessing these conflicts, I am called to examine my own allegiances and to ensure they align with the greater good.
The Nature of Accountability
As the ethical foundations of governance appear to erode, I am reminded of the Stoic principle that we are responsible for our actions. While the actions of leaders may lead to a loss of trust, I must focus on my own accountability. In a world where integrity is compromised, I can strive to embody the virtues of honesty and fairness, thus contributing to the restoration of ethical standards.
The Power of Reflection
In observing the tumultuous landscape of politics, I find solace in the practice of reflection. The actions of others serve as a mirror, revealing both their flaws and my own. I am reminded that the path to virtue is not a solitary journey; it is a collective endeavor. Each moment of contemplation strengthens my resolve to act with integrity and to inspire others to do the same.
Conclusion: Embracing the Challenge
The current state of affairs may seem disheartening, yet I choose to embrace the challenge it presents. The corruption and conflicts that pervade our institutions are not merely obstacles but opportunities for growth. In the face of adversity, I shall cultivate resilience and seek to embody the virtues that elevate the human spirit. For it is in the darkest of times that the light of virtue shines brightest.
Source Body Text
Every time Donald Trump has run for president, he has vowed to drain the swamp in Washington. But ever since he returned to the White House, not only has he not even tried to drain the swamp, he has pushed to gild it. Trump has used all the gold and glitz he can to cover up an increasingly putrid swamp – a morass filled with million-dollar donors scrambling for access, criminals seeking to buy pardons, corporate executives appointed to high-level government jobs and billionaire sycophants sucking up to Trump. Making the swamp smell even worse, the president and his sons have somehow managed, through crypto and other means, to increase their wealth by an estimated $4bn since Trump won a second term. At this point, we should probably call Trump’s Washington not a swamp, but a colossal cesspool. For the sake of accuracy, Trump should put a big neon sign outside the White House saying: “Conflicts of Interest R Us”. Trump pardoned a crypto billionaire who, through some behind-the-scenes maneuvering, helped increase the value of the Trump family’s crypto company, World Liberty Financial, by roughly $2bn. After Trump’s campaign and affiliated Pacs received a gusher of donations from oil and gas companies, an estimated $75m, Trump gutted environmental regulations that the fossil fuel industry disliked, while also pushing to undermine electric vehicles as well as solar and wind power. The Trump family’s conflicts of interest have escalated during the US war with Iran. Trump’s oldest sons, Don Jr and Eric, are investors in a drone manufacturer that has sought to sell drones to Gulf states that have faced attacks from Iran and depend on the Trump administration for military aid. In a move that several Democrats called “corruption in plain sight”, the Pentagon awarded a $24m contract last month to a robotics startup – Eric is the company’s “chief strategy adviser” – to test an android with the US Marine Corps. According to the New York Times, even as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner serves as a top Middle East peace envoy, his investment firm, Affinity Partners, has been seeking to raise $5bn, with Affinity representatives meeting in recent months with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. That conflict of interest seems all the more egregious considering that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has repeatedly urged Trump to attack Iran to destroy its hardline regime. “This is going to be the first family of a president to make a lot of money off war,” Richard Painter, a White House ethics lawyer under George W Bush, told the Associated Press. (The White House denies any Trump family conflicts of interest.) A particularly putrid part of the swamp involves Trump’s ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a one-time buddy. While running for president, Trump vowed to release the Epstein files, but after he won, he dismissed calls to release them. The files became public only after a bipartisan congressional petition effort forced their release. Trump’s planned gilded ballroom – with an estimated price of more than $400m – has become a huge swamp in itself. Trump’s money machine has hit up corporations and billionaires for millions in donations that are often made with the hope, even the expectation, that donors will receive important favors in return. Since Trump won a second term, he and his allies have raised almost $2bn for his pet causes and projects, including the ballroom. According to a New York Times study, 346 donors have given at least $250,000 each to Trump’s projects and causes, and more than half of those donors or their industries have benefited from subsequent actions or statements by Trump or his administration. Take the tech company Palantir, which donated $10m to the ballroom. Palantir already has hundreds of millions in federal contracts and hopes to win more to help build Trump’s $1.2tn “Golden Dome” missile defense project. Remember back when Trump boasted that he’s so rich that “I don’t need anybody’s money”? Well, Elon Musk gave a record $270m-plus to support Trump’s 2024 campaign, and soon after, Trump appointed the world’s richest person to head the slash-and-burn “department of government efficiency”. Meanwhile, Musk’s SpaceX company continued to win billions of dollars in federal contracts. Billionaire Larry Ellison, a major donor to Republican causes, helped his son David’s Skydance company acquire CBS (and its parent Paramount), a move that has made CBS News gentler toward Trump. The president later gave Oracle, a company Ellison co-founded, a big stake in TikTok’s US operations. Jeff Bezos took some particularly malodorous actions that benefited Trump. He neutered the Washington Post’s liberal editorial page, and his company Amazon spent $40m for the rights to Melania Trump’s widely panned documentary. The company later spent $35m more to market it. And now smarmy, swampy Amazon might bankroll a new version of The Apprentice starring Don Jr. In Trump’s first term, the Pentagon awarded a $10bn cloud computing contract to Microsoft even though Amazon had been considered the frontrunner. Amazon sued to block the contract, asserting that the Pentagon had wrongly bowed to pressures from Trump. The Pentagon insisted that the award was fair and followed all rules. (A judge ended the lawsuit after the Pentagon dropped the contract.) In good news for Bezos, this past January Amazon Web Services won a $581m cloud computing contract from the US Air Force. And last October, Bezos’s company Blue Origin won a $190m contract to take Nasa’s lunar rover to the moon. Trump has repeatedly used his pardon powers in extremely swampy ways. After a woman donated $3.5m to Trump’s Maga Inc Super Pac, the president pardoned her father, who faced charges of bribing Puerto Rico’s governor. Soon after, a healthcare executive attended a $1m-a-guest fundraising dinner with the president, and Trump pardoned her son, Paul Walczak. As a result, Walczak, convicted of embezzling employees’ withholding taxes, didn’t have to pay nearly $4.4m in restitution or report to prison for his 18-month sentence. Last October, Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the crypto billionaire who helped increase World Liberty Financial’s value by nearly $2bn – Zhao had spent four months in prison after pleading guilty to money-laundering charges. In a enthusiastic dive into the oil-and-gas swamp, Trump has filled his administration with fossil fuel executives and lobbyists and killed many environmental regulations that fight global heating. According to one study, Trump has named 43 people who were employed by oil, gas or coal companies to serve in his administration, including in the energy department, the interior department and the EPA. The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, was the CEO of a fracking company. Last May, in an egregious money-making venture for a sitting president, Trump held a 220-person dinner for people who spent more than $1m per seat on average to buy Trump’s cryptocurrency. Trump has fully embraced the crypto industry, adopting myriad crypto-friendly rules and sharply rolling back the Biden administration’s enforcement efforts against that scandal-plagued industry. Trump and his three sons jumped into bed with the crypto industry by co-founding World Liberty Financial. Let’s not forget that, in part apparently to minimize investigations of his administration’s swampy shenanigans, Trump fired more than 15 independent inspectors general. If those agency officials were still in office, they would probably be blowing the whistle on many Trump administration conflicts of interest and ethical messes. Dear reader, I’m sorry if I’ve made you hold your nose while reading this. It all stinks. And I haven’t even mentioned that Don Jr sought to cash in on daddy’s second term by co-founding a swank private club in Georgetown called Executive Branch (a name that shouts conflict of interest). Memberships cost a stratospheric $500,000. I wish I could send some air freshener to every reader to reduce the swampy smell. But frankly, the only thing that will reduce the stink in the foreseeable future will be for Democrats to win control of the House, and hopefully the Senate, too. That way they can use Congress’s investigative powers to shine a probing spotlight on Trump’s cesspool of corruption and conflicts of interest. A slew of subpoenas and congressional hearings could be a real start to draining the swamp. Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author, focusing on labor and the workplace, as well as economic and legal issues