The lobbying swamp is alive and well in Trump’s second term

Published May 5, 2026 5:00am ET



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. And to top it all off, Congress has failed to send a bill to the president’s desk banning lawmakers from trading stocks, despite broad bipartisan appeal and a promise from Trump himself to sign a bill into law.

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