Tag: Trump’s swamp

Trump Finally Comfortable with His Basket of Deplorables

Buck Banks

“After four national security advisers, three chiefs of staff, three directors of oval office operations and five communications directors, the president is now finding the White House finally functions in a way that fits his personality. Trump doubters have largely been ousted, leaving supporters to cheer him on and execute his directives with fewer constraints than ever before.”

— Politico

Mattis Finally Speaks

Buck Banks

“Unlike in the past, where we were unified and drew in allies, currently our own commons seems to be breaking apart. What concerns me most as a military man is not our external adversaries; it is our internal divisiveness. We are dividing into hostile tribes cheering against each other, fueled by emotion and a mutual disdain that jeopardizes our future, instead of rediscovering our common ground and finding solutions.”

— Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks out for the first time since resigning his post in a Wall Street Journal essay.

Pruitt Owes $124k for Improper Travel Expenses

Buck Banks

$124,000

The EPA’s inspector general recommended recovering nearly $124,000 in improper travel expenses by former EPA chief Scott Pruitt, the Washington Post reports. “The findings, issued nearly a year after Pruitt resigned amid controversy over his spending, travel and ties to lobbyists and outside groups, highlight the fiscal impact of his penchant for high-end travel and accommodations.”

Pruitt a Lying Cheat Until the Bitter End

Buck Banks

“It is extremely difficult for me to cease serving you in this role first because I count it a blessing to be serving you in any capacity, but also, because of the transformative work that is occurring. However, the unrelenting attacks on me personally and my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us.”

— Excerpt from Scott Pruitt’s resignation letter to Donald Trump published by Fox News.

Pruitt as ‘Swampy as You Get’ in Washington

Buck Banks

“He is about as swampy as you get here in Washington, D.C., and if the president wants to drain the swamp, he needs to take a look at his own cabinet.”

— Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), blasting allegations of ethical misconduct by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Bloomberg reports. “Pruitt’s tenure at the Environmental Protection Agency is under intensifying scrutiny, with at least 10 federal investigations probing his $50-per-night rental of a bedroom in a Capitol Hill condominium from a lobbyist, his frequent taxpayer-funded travel and his spending decisions.”

Over Half of Trump Appointees Have Conflicts of Interest

Buck Banks

179

The Daily Beast looked at all 341 people President Trump has nominated for administration positions and found that 179 — more than half — have some sort of a conflict of interest. “One hundred and five nominees worked in the industries that they were being tasked with regulating; 63 lobbied for, were lawyers for, or otherwise represented industry members that they were being tasked with regulating; and 11 received payments or campaign donations from members of the industry that they were being tasked with regulating.”