Trump's 'Drain the Swamp' Plan: Staff Cuts, Not Special Interests
Newsweek details which federal departments weathered the storm of Trump's hiring freezes and staff reductions, citing a 2018 report on government downsizing. (Newsweek URL cited). They paint a picture of internal upheaval, but conspicuously omit how external influences like well-funded lobbying operations remain untouched, indeed, often thriving. For instance, while federal agencies saw cuts,
organizations like AIPAC poured millions into political campaigns, effectively buying influence irrespective of who occupied federal offices. According to OpenSecrets.org, AIPAC's spending on lobbying alone reached over $3 million in 2018, the same year these 'layoffs' were making headlines. So, Washington's staffing may shrink, but the well-greased gears of special interest groups continue to
turn, often dictating policy to the reduced workforce still left. One might ask if these 'layoffs' were more about optics than actual systemic reform, conveniently distracting from the real power brokers who never get a pink slip.