He promised to do it in his first winning campaign, but then-President Donald Trump didn’t pull the plug to drain the Washington “swamp.”
Now, in his second presidency, Trump has done what he pledged to do, purging thousands of bureaucrats and regulators, but voters want more, apparently hoping that he has just started emptying out federal offices and K Street law and lobbying shops.
From initially tasking Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” to eliminate federal agencies and jobs to Friday’s targeting of never-Trump GOP adviser John Bolton, likely voters told Rasmussen Reports that they back the president’s swamp draining.
But they want him to do more and think that he has been “unsuccessful” thus far.
NEW: Trump says DOJ to brief him on FBI raids at John Bolton’s home and office!
It’s about time the swamp gets brought to justice! pic.twitter.com/LriSVrVxzP
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) August 22, 2025
In the new survey shared with Washington Secrets on Friday, Rasmussen said that 62% of likely voters back Trump’s pledge to “drain the swamp.” That included 46% who “strongly agree.”
Support came from Republicans and conservatives, but also 50% of Democrats, 61% of Hispanics, and 46% of African-Americans.
But so far, and despite his sweeping federal worker cuts, just 45% believe that Trump has been successful in his purge, and 48% believe he has been “unsuccessful.”
His Cabinet, however, is moving aggressively to make good on the president’s promise.
Today, for example, the Department of Veterans Affairs said that it is redirecting millions of taxpayer funds away from subsidizing federal unions to veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
Secretary Doug Collins said that he is draining money from one of the big elements of the Washington swamp: federal unions, which get free office space and thousands of hours of employee time to work on union efforts.
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His moves today will free up $45 million that the VA plans to redirect to veterans.
“VA staff will now get to spend more time with veterans, VA facilities can focus on treating veterans, and VA can manage its staff according to veterans’ needs and national security requirements, not union demands,” Collins said.