The lobbying swamp is alive and well in Trump’s second term
Despite President Donald Trump's promise to "drain the swamp," lobbying activity and the revolving door between government and the private sector remain prevalent in his second term. His administration has appointed numerous former lobbyists to high-ranking positions, some of whom would have been barred under prior ethics rules. Congress has also failed to pass a ban on lawmakers trading stocks, while lobbying revenue reached $5 billion in 2025.
- ▪The Campaign Legal Center found that 47 lobbyists have been nominated to high-ranking posts in Trump's second term, with 16 potentially violating past ethics standards.
- ▪Thirty-five corporate lobbyists failed to report donations to four Trump-related projects, prompting an ethics complaint filed with the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
- ▪Trump did not reestablish the ethics rule from his first term that barred hiring lobbyists to agencies they had recently lobbied.
- ▪Lobbying industry revenue reached $5 billion in 2025, a 14% increase from 2024, according to Open Secrets.
- ▪Previous presidents, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, also appointed lobbyists to government roles despite campaign promises to limit such practices.
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During his first campaign for office, President Donald Trump vowed to drain the swamp, but the cottage industry profiting off proximity to power, not to mention the revolving door between the federal government and lobbying industry, appears to remain alive and well in the second year of his second term. The reported surge in the Trump family’s own worth, linked to cryptocurrency investments, has received close coverage over the past 16 months. Meanwhile, prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, where users can place bets on political outcomes, have surged in popularity in recent years. These platforms have been rife with accusations of insider trading, prompting federal investigations.
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