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The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It

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The Instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller!

When Washington D.C. was first built, it was on top of a swamp that had to be drained. Donald Trump says it's time to drain it again.

In The Swamp, bestselling author and Fox News Channel host Eric Bolling presents an infuriating, amusing, revealing, and outrageous history of American politics, past and present, Republican and Democrat. From national political scandals to tempests in a teapot that blew up; bribery, blackmail, bullying, and backroom deals that contradicted public policies; cronyism that cost taxpayers hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars; and personal conduct that can only be described as regrettable, The Swamp is a journey downriver through the bayous and marshes of Capitol Hill and Foggy Bottom.

The presidential election of 2016 was ugly, but it exposed a political, media, industry, and elite establishment that desperately wanted to elect a politician who received millions of dollars from terror-funding states over a businessman willing to tell the corrupt or incompetent, "You're fired."

The book concludes with a series of recommendations for President Trump: practical, hard-headed, and concise ways to drain the swamp and force Washington to be more transparent, more accountable, and more effective in how it serves those who have elected its politicians and pay the bills for their decisions.

Last year President Trump declared Wake Up America to be a "huge" book; Eric Bolling's second book is sure to build on that success. Entertaining and timely, The Swamp is the perfect book for today's political climate.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published June 27, 2017

298 people are currently reading
489 people want to read

About the author

Eric Bolling

3 books56 followers
Eric Bolling currently serves as co-host of FOX News Channel's (FNC) "The Five" (weekdays 5-6PM/ET). He also serves as the host of "Cashin' In" (Saturdays 11:30AM-12PM/ET), an analysis program on FNC's weekend business block, The Cost of Freedom. Bolling also fills in for Bill O'Reilly on "The O'Reilly Factor" (weekdays 8-9pm/ET). Bolling joined the network in 2008.

On The Five, Bolling is one of seven rotating personalities who discuss, debate and at times debunk the hot news stories, controversies and issues of the day. Additionally, he serves as a commodities contributor to both FNC and Fox Business Network (FBN), specializing in the economy. Previously, he served as host of FBN's Follow the Money, Happy Hour as well as FoxNews.com's Strategy Room. Prior to joining FBN, Bolling helped launch and was an original panelist on CNBC's Fast Money.

Before embarking on a television career in business news, Bolling was an independent trader based out of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) specializing in crude oil, gold and agricultural commodities. Bolling also served on the NYMEX's Board of Directors for five years, and subsequently acted as a strategic adviser there.

Bolling was named the Maybach Man of the Year in 2007 and one of Trader Monthly's Top Traders in 2007 and 2008. A graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, he was awarded a fellowship to Duke University's School of Public Policy. Bolling was also drafted by and played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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5 stars
210 (42%)
4 stars
141 (28%)
3 stars
95 (19%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
1,424 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2017
This was full of stories of misbehavior in our government. I admire the work put into this book but tired of reading it. It is very sad that we are in this situation and I don't see any hope for eliminating it. Very lucrative for those in government. Why would they want to clean it up. Depressing.
Profile Image for Christopher Lawson.
Author 10 books130 followers
June 27, 2017
Both Liberalism And Conservatism Have Blown It Badly

In THE SWAMP: WASHINGTON'S MURKY POOL OF CORRUPTION AND CRONYISM, Eric Bolling presents some simple, common sense proposals to end special interest politics in Washington. Both political parties get a beating by the author, but perhaps Liberals get a bigger beating. Nevertheless, the GOP takes it licks as well, especially in Chapter 10, "From Great Society to -GATE Society." The author pulls no punches in exposing the deceit of Nixon, as well as the disgrace of Vice President Spiro Agnew.

Naturally, the main scandals of recent years are each given a few pages. President Clinton gets his own chapter, 12, "Contract with American, Contact with an Intern." I didn't find anything really new or surprising there.

On the Republican side, the governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford gets several pages documenting his bizarre outing to see his mistress in Argentina. Eric notes that the scandal didn't keep him from being elected to congress: "One of the most embarrassingly bungled extramarital affairs in history was not a disqualification ... from rejoining the ecosystem of the Swamp."

I thought the most insightful point the author makes is this: The morass in Washington didn't happen quickly, and it didn't happen due to just one party: "Remember that the Swamp is not just something created by the left. Fight the whole "establishment" because it’s just as dangerous as the liberal opposition."

I thought the final part of the book, "Conclusion," had the meatiest points. Eric explains how the Founding Fathers foresaw something like a Swamp. They wrote the Constitution in such a way as to reign-in the "Swamp Creatures." The Founders envisioned limited government because "They how many different ways government could go wrong."

Again, not really a new or startling point, but still a good point, I think.

The retelling of all the tawdry affairs was mildly interesting; however, were some scandals that were new to me. Perhaps the wildest story was of the "Biggest BS artist" during the Eisenhower years. Eric tells the bizarre story of GOP congressman Douglas Stringfellow of Utah. He pretended to be paraplegic, and exaggerated tales of being a secret agent and of being tortured in a prison. He even made it on "This is Your Life." (His Democratic dig up the real facts.)

So all in all, I found THE SWAMP to be an interesting record of the corruption of both parties. Most of the accounts were familiar to me, as I suspect they will be to most readers. The author's recommendation for the regular folk to rise up and demand change is a nice idea, but methinks a wee bit optimistic. Time will tell.

Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Profile Image for Grace.
733 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2017
The title of this book jumped out at me as I browsed the new release audiobooks at the library and immediately added it to my pile of books to borrow. Why? I'm interested in learning more about the Republican, conservative, and Trump supporting viewpoints and I mistakenly thought this book would provide insight on how Trump planned to "drain the swamp."

I knew nothing of Eric Bolling before finding this audiobook at the library, but as the book dragged on, I did a quick Google search - Fox news, a family connection to the opioid epidemic, and his own sexual harassment scandal. It turned out that he was just the type of guy I had been avoiding in my search for information.

He spewed vitriol and inflammatory statements (which I am not against), but failed to provide depth and context, or to go into why he believed what he believed - how is climate change a hoax or how will less regulation really help business for example so an average, non-journalist, non-business person American could see behind the curtain and, for me, help me understand an opposing viewpoint.

Approximately 70% of the book detailed all the comings-and-goings of the swamp since the American Revolution, with both Republicans and Democrats represented, although the narrative leaned heavily toward Democrat "swamp dwellers," especially the Clintons. The last 30% featured the author's thoughts on just how Donald Trump could drain the swamp. Again, I was disappointed as I was looking for more of a rundown of how Trump himself planned to drain the swamp.

Note on the audiobook narration: Mr. Bolling's fast-paced and aggressive speech may work on television where viewers can also see his face and body language, but I wasn't a fan of his audiobook narration. He rushed through much of it, including key portions that would have benefitted from thoughtful pauses to help make his points stick. At times it sounded like he was yelling at readers rather than reading to them. Also - He slipped up with the year while discussing Silas Dean (1777 but said 1977 - easy mistake to make!) and no one caught that in production or post-production, which shocked me.

In retrospect, I should have done my homework on this book before picking it up as it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
Profile Image for Ian Yarington.
584 reviews7 followers
February 3, 2018
I wouldn't have ever even thought of reading this but I won it in the giveaways so I felt compelled to give it a shot. I'm a liberal, for my entire voting life that started in the 2000's, but even the most hardened of liberals know most of this stuff, we just don't care. This shouldn't be a new phenomenon because for the most part conservatives feel the same. One hand washes the other, you scratch my back I scratch yours, etc... everyone knows how DC works but as long as they tow the party line that matters to the particular voter it doesn't matter to them. Then there is the hindsight of how Trump filled the swamp instead of draining it. Tillerson an Exxon exec, Steven Mnuchin a Goldman Sachs exec, Trump is just as/more corrupt than any of the rest. With that said the book itself wasn't so bad, it was fairly well written and went by quicker than I thought for something I wasn't into.
Profile Image for Suzie .
7 reviews
November 12, 2017
Hats off to Eric Bolling for writing such a timely, and unabashed look at our government’s corruption. Amazing that the lights are still on in D.C., what with each politician feeding from the tax trough, while refusing to work! Democrats & Republicans get skewered in Bolling’s book. When I saw the political firestorm this book created, I wasn’t surprised that the vile political machine cranked out some false accusations against Bolling. To silence him, and to exact revenge. D.C. doesn’t want to loose it’s limo service, $1,000 dinners, $5,000 suits, insider trading info, etc! How is it that every politician has become a millionaire?
Profile Image for Forrest.
270 reviews7 followers
November 14, 2019
Corruption and cronyism at all levels of government from since the birth of this nation until now. No single political party is to blame since they all indulge in it. Politicians are what they are... swamp creatures.
Important book, but I kept losing focus and quit halfway through. Better off reading the text version.
13 reviews
May 1, 2018
This book hasn't aged well. It has ok examples of corruption but years Donald Trump as a fucking savior. This idiot actually thought Trump would stop excessive spending. Yet here we are, 2 years in, Trump drowning in scandals, 1.5 trillion in debt by his tax cuts. Way to go numb nuts.
64 reviews
July 24, 2017
Bolling details the corrupt history of Washington, DC politicians - intersting tales.
Profile Image for Michael Kearney.
304 reviews10 followers
November 19, 2020
I thought St Martin Press had standards. Trump and his people added to the murk.
Profile Image for Jack.
2 reviews
August 7, 2022
If I could give this less than one star I would. This buffoon is another Fox News blowhard feeding the outrage machine that Fox News has created. " how Trump can drain it" is just nothing but bait. He thinks how trump can drain it was by following his advice which was bad advice and Trump did not do a thing to drain it, because he IS the swamp. He's the bull goose leader of the swamp. The swamp has never had a more foul creature than Trump. He has the audacity to think that it's a big deal that a billionaire who has totally ignored the emolument Clause of the Constitution doesn't take his presidential salary. As all this guy did was give Trump numbskull advice, like advising Trump to endorse term limits. We just saw how that worked out. He did the opposite. Trump tried to steal the election, lead a treasonous coup, and likely would have set himself up as a Putin style president for life if he would have gotten away with it. He never says anything about how Donald Trump could drain the swamp. he gave advice that Trump obviously didn't follow oh, quite the contrary Trump is the swamp. The most despicable character and dangerous character in the history of American politics. This book is full of lies misrepresentations and Mindless rants. He starts this book off talking about Ted Kennedy and what happened at Chappaquiddick. He has no way of knowing the things that he says about that. He just starts to book out stoking outrage about Ted Kennedy when the true outrage is his insinuation that Kennedy sat on the banks and did nothing while Mary Jo was still alive in the car. His source? A firefighter who made a completely speculative comment. It was a tragedy and Ted Kennedy was the blame but on the other hand, Ted Kennedy did more for the American people as a legislator and the leader of the Senate than just about any other senator in history. So the first thing he does in this book is character assassination against a Democrat. I've worked on many political campaigns in my life and gotten to know people who sought office and attained office god without exception they were in it for the right reasons. Service. None of them needed the job to make a living and some of them voted for legislation because it was the right thing to do knowing it was going to cost them their job. There are 535 members of Congress. The vast majority of them are there to Serve the People that sent them there, especially on my side of the isle. "how trump can drain it" in retrospect would be laugh-out-loud funny if he wasn't still wasn't the most dangerous man in the country and the second most dangerous in the world. The other being Putin and it's very arguable who's the greatest danger. I'm a democrat. I read this because I want to read something from the other side, and there isn't much that tries to promote Republican ideals or defend Trump because they'd end up being pamphlets, not books because they don't believe in anything anymore other than gaining and keeping power and the American people be damned if they get in the way. Don't be like me, don't waste your time on this unless you're just looking to feed your outrage machine. He has no solutions.
41 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2017
Read this book and enjoy thinking about what could be

I am so frustrated and disgusted in the mainstream media and the those that can only criticize, scream, and have yell about everything President Trump is trying to accomplish. What a waste! We as a nation elected a President because we wanted something better and the "swamp" that is doing everything it can to destroy. We are so fortunate to have Eric and his Fox News peers to actually reports news. Read this book and think about what a better country we would have should Trump actually accomplish "draining the swamp". I agree - don't change what you are doing, Mr. President!!
Profile Image for Alex.
393 reviews20 followers
January 31, 2019
Explaining how a book of this nature found its way into my hands will take too long. I'll summarize the process by declaring: honest curiosity.

Mr. Bolling laid out a nice buffet of historic swampy behaviors that were pretty remarkable and interesting. Politicians since the beginning contributed to the swamp as we know it today. The usual suspects were detailed in length i.e. Nixon, Clintons. Whenever Trump behaviors fit the given description of swamp behavior like name calling vitriol, he is exempt from judgment, because _______ (fill in the blank).

Eric says, "But how can the same experts who spent the past two decades calling for 'transparency' in government be unhappy that the president is tweeting and let us know very, very directly what's on his mind?" Good point. And....

As far as how to drain the swamp? Meh. No earth shattering or profoundly in depth information to be found.

What are my take-aways?
- Turns out Washington DC is built on a literal swamp. Did not know that.
- I appreciate the historical perspectives.
- Eric Bolling calls out both democratic and republican sides.
- This Quote:

"For decades prior to President Trump taking office, Americans tended to assume right-wingers were often restrictive of sexual activity...and in favor of military interventionism. Left wingers would favor increased sexual freedom but vastly expanded government spending as well. Unfortunately...we usually ended up with the worst elements of both right and left prevailing..."
1 review
November 6, 2017
This novel, The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It is written by Eric Bolling, a fox news channel host. He first started his career on fox news in two thousand and seven when he was a host of the new show at the time, “Happy Hour.” This started the rise of Bolling as he started to become more known around the political spectrum. Before he started to create his big impact to the fox channel as a whole, he attended college at Rollins to later graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in economics. Bolling also had a previous career with CNBC also as a commentator. Only to later join fox. Bolling was apart of the fox channel as he appeared on many different titles such as, The FIve, Cashin’ In, and Fox News Specialists until later being suspended for an investigation on sharing of “lewd” photos in two thousand and seventeen. The downfall of Bollings career hit rock bottom when a few months later his only son Eric had passed away from the major development and influence from the opioid epidemic. This changed how Eric viewed life in general and started to write more often. Although the release of this best selling book was shortly before these incidents, it still helps Bolling to create more works of literature in the future. This book, focuses on the main issues occurring throughout our past, present, and future in the white house. Bollings main goal is to inform the reader that our past is full of unknown but important information that needs to be shared. He also believes that through the presidency of Donald J. trump he can accomplish a drainage of false and inaccurate past that affects us today. This book closely relates to my personal political views, and I have always been a fan of Bollings on the big screen. Which happens to be one of the main reasons that I chose to read this book. Each chapter of Bollings novel, had a different topic beginning with our past and where all the corruption started. “ The nation’s Founding Fathers may have put the capital city in a literal swamp, but they did not want it to become the moral and political Swamp with which we live today.” (Bolling 199.) I believe that the way Bolling portrays government in the past is completely true and is what is hurting us so badly today. I also believe that Trump has the initiative and power to get done what he feels is right. I liked the majority of Bolling's viewpoints as we relate in feelings about our earlier governments and where we stand today. I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to have an open mind and learn about the real collusion that happens without anyone finding out and helping just to cover someone up. Overall this book is a great way to learn more and connect to the thoughts and feelings on a political spectrum. This novel was definitely a good choice..
2,354 reviews105 followers
January 22, 2018
I learned a lot about politics from this book. Washington D.C. was actually built on a swamp, this book has two pictures showing that. I could never figure out why Trump was saying drain the swamp. This book is a perfect read for the political climate we are in. This author presents us with many examples of the outrageous history of American politics, past and present, Republican and Democrat. We need to realize that our politicans need to meet a higher standard that they are not meeting. Some of the people who represent us need to go because they think they are above the law and that not having any ethics is fine with us. I think the most important chapter I read was the lobbyists who trade money to have access and persuasion to peddle their agenda, I saw this happen myself in Calif. The people were not listened to about what we need. The reason that Trump is upsetting the Swamp is because they like it this way, it works for them, they do not want to be drained and they do not want their boat rocked. For Trump to fulfill his mandate for reform pressure will have to be kept on Washington. This is not the America the founding fathers envisioned. At the end of the book that are some good suggestions for changing the system we have now. In Calif we voted for term limits, and every state should do that. We should require a balanced budget, and limit spending and taxation. This author would like to see the Swamp drained and build something beautiful instead and make America a better future.
618 reviews
September 23, 2017
Bolling's latest political tome weighs the murk behind the Washington swamp from the beginning of America's existence with accounts of amoral behavior from all political parties to present day politics. The book, which begins with a tragic political scandal of the 1960s and how a junior senator from Massachusetts weighed his civic aspirations against the life of Mary Jo Kopechne in the waters of Chappaquiddick Island, spares no punches as he hammers away at the mire our elected officials have permitted to surround them while they continue to lead the country into more than $20 trillion debt. American writer Will Durant is cited at the beginning of chapter 7 in which he said, "The political machine triumphs because is is a united minority acting against a divided majority," and it is this chapter which is the heart of the book. Improvements for this Washington narrative are outlined near the end of the book, and many of them I believe should be in place. For example, our original representatives had other jobs and returned to them when not in session--congress sets its own session schedule and pay increases, so then the question of: are the foxes guarding the hen house? becomes plainer. At the end Bolling encourages President Trump to fulfill this particular campaign promise as he writes: Drain the swamp, Mr. President. Drain the Swamp.
Profile Image for Andrew.
546 reviews6 followers
January 16, 2018
Bolling starts this book off with a jawing account of Ted Kennedy fleeing a car accident. The story is a bit surreal especially given that Senator Kennedy never faced Justice for his lies. The book jumps around in history from there with accounts of corruption at all levels of the government. Corruption on the right and left is rampant. Bolling with his conservative background focuses more on the left but the corruption definitely runs on both sides of the aisle.
Toward the end of the book, Bolling places hope in Trump to drain the swamp. This hope is a bit like Obama's hope and change. The idea sounds good but in practice it just doesn't add up.
I would have enjoyed this book more without the speculative assertions about Trump's claims to drain the swamp. Bolling is using the "swamp draining" rhetoric to sell books but it also makes his arguments fall short of the mark. Read this book to learn more about corruption, but ignore the Trump political rhetoric. I look forward to more books by Bolling.
Profile Image for Joel Cigan.
185 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2017
It was middle of the road for me. The most interesting part was Eric's reveal that he was gang banged by a bunch of kids who wanted his wallet. I guess they ended up getting away with the crime but Eric is no stranger to a fistfight.

I also found his statement interesting that he considers a congressman's $170,000 per year salary substantial. Who is he comparing that salary to?

"Power is a soap opera" seems to be a dominant theme amongst the populist elite and "Cronies" in Washington D.C. There's a lot of shady happenings in "The Swamp." That's what I got out of it anyway.

Eric is a supporter of Donald Trump

Profile Image for Ed Draper.
8 reviews
July 11, 2017
Powerful, succinct indictment of 'establishment' US politics. A must read for all concerned political activists. This rehearsal of governmental felonious and scandalous behaviors shouts for renouncement and reform. Readable with accessible but somewhat scanty documentation from secondary sources, the book addresses vital tropics for interested general readers. I highly recommend it.

(See above.) My kindle apparently seems not to
allow cut-and-paste. My review begins at "A must read. . ." Thanks.



Profile Image for KL B.
Author 3 books3 followers
September 29, 2017
This book is against corruption, on any side, and per the criminal books, there’s a lot of it. It’s in the world, a country, government, movement, agenda, state, city, county, workplace, school, and even people’s own homes. Eric presented the “written down” facts of history and court cases as is logical to do, which has further allowed me to realize amid bribes, threats, loopholes, coverups, and flat out lies...only corruption knows its own real truth of its matter, some found out, some running so deep...

Profile Image for Mark.
145 reviews3 followers
October 3, 2017
The book provides many examples from history where politicians (the swamp)committed unlawful or unethical acts. They are in no particular order and jump around. After awhile, to this reader, the names become meaningless.

The end portion of the book is the authors ideas how to drain the swamp. Ideas presented are good talking points but lack any detail on execution.

Personally, I like the author. I have watched him on TV and agree with his viewpoint. This book , though good misses the mark. It became tiresome to read and I was glad to finish it.
7 reviews
July 12, 2017
Excellent Read

Eric Bolling has written a book that all Americans can understand. Very descriptive in his examples. He looked at all sides and in understandable terms gave solutions to the problems we face as everyday citizens. He gave hope where little exist today. My hope is, that the President finds the time to read this. I recommend this book to everyone that is concerned about our country and the corruption in our government known simply as the "Swamp".
3 reviews
July 13, 2017
Fantastic read

Mr. Billing has crafted an amazing work telling us how the swamp has developed and grown since the beginning of our democracy. We the voters have allowed this to happen by not taking the time to learn what our elected officials are really doing. I pray every day that our president can clean out all the waste and corruption, so our government can run like it should.

Profile Image for Tech Ninja.
191 reviews3 followers
August 6, 2017
This is my second Eric Bolling book and it was as amazing and even better than his first. Most of it is well known but only because I get info from different media such as RT, InfoWars, etc but I really love it and recommend it to conservatives but ALSO to liberals if they would open their eyes and see that their "perfect politicians" have been lying to them and so corrupt that they should all be in jail. I cant wait to see if Bolling makes another book
425 reviews
October 23, 2017
Bolling has done a good job of cataloging the many criminals who have held national public office over the years. He provides good advice to President Trump on ways to drain the swamp. I came away with the feeling that it is going to be next to impossible with the democrats and media to even begin to drain the swamp. Also, this was probably the most depressing book about our leaders and their total lack of integrity coupled with their unbridled greed that I have ever read.
Profile Image for Mary Ann.
1,769 reviews
January 1, 2020
This was a very well written book looking at the corruption of the politicians going back to the Revolution. This looked at both sides of the aisle and how we got to this point in having men and women who are coming out richer than they went in. How the game is played and how it has become a retirement home. He goes back to the first House of Representatives and the First Senate and even some of the earliest Presidents.
Profile Image for Aryssa.
431 reviews47 followers
June 8, 2017
More historical anecdotes than guide for the future, this book takes an interesting and witty look at the scandals and scoundrels of the Swamp but in his final chapters, Bolling makes pleas to Trump that feel out of place in a book of this nature and don't necessarily address the roots of the scandals he spent so much of the book detailing.
1,259 reviews
July 8, 2017
The Swamp Must Be Drained

Great book with some well known facts and some little known ones. Corruption is greater than the general public knows. Every political junkie should read this. When you vote - look beyond the sound bites, the candidate may be a con artist well before going into government. It's all about the money. Your money.
Profile Image for Debbie Palmer.
14 reviews
July 9, 2017
What an eye opener!

I am an independent but I actually believed for years that the people we elected into office was there for the people. How foolish I have been. I think everyone should read this book and open their eyes to our government's corruption and misuse of our taxpayer's dollars!
Profile Image for Dave Jones.
310 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2017
Funny that this book came out as a denouncement of the public scandal only to be followed up with the author becoming embroiled in his own public scandal. Wonder that they will include in the paperback update, assuming they issue one. The most of it is a recitation of the standard case against the liberal left with not much that I hadn't heard before. Kind of disappointing.
4 reviews
September 15, 2017
The swamp

Great book - Eric presents a great deal of historic corruption in our government. Well researched. Highly recommend reading this. Hopefully, some of the current corruption from past to figure can be cleaned up - good argument for term limits, along with enforcing bribery laws against lobbyists and sitting government reps.
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