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Donald Trump has begun his second term as president by reversing key ethics rules implemented during Joe Biden’s presidency. Trump, who first took office in 2017 vowing to “drain the swamp” and rid Washington of corruption, now faces criticism for actions that critics say do the exact opposite.
On his first day back in office, Trump issued an executive order rescinding Biden’s 2021 ethics rules. Biden’s rules had prohibited executive branch employees from accepting significant gifts from lobbyists and imposed a two-year ban on lobbyists seeking jobs in the executive branch or vice versa.
Trump’s reversal eliminates those restrictions.
In addition to rolling back these ethics provisions, Trump has faced scrutiny for actions that could benefit him personally. Leading up to his inauguration, he launched a cryptocurrency token that has seen a sharp rise in value.
Meanwhile, his wife, Melania Trump, has secured a deal to produce a documentary with Amazon. Although the Trump Organization has voluntarily agreed not to make deals with foreign governments, it continues to pursue partnerships with private companies abroad.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the watchdog group Public Citizen, criticized Trump’s moves, saying, “Trump is opening the floodgates for conflicts of interest and exploiting his power in office in the hopes of making billions of dollars on the backs of taxpayers. Instead of focusing on the needs of the American people, Trump’s only interest is to secure a next deal to line his pockets.”
Trump and his family have previously been accused of monetizing their political positions. During his last campaign, Trump’s ventures included selling bibles, gold sneakers, photo books, and diamond-encrusted watches.
His latest actions mark a stark contrast to the beginning of his first term in 2017, when he signed an ethics order banning executive branch employees from becoming lobbyists for five years. However, he lifted those restrictions for members of his administration in one of his final acts before leaving office in 2020.
This pattern of reversing ethics rules upon leaving office mirrors actions by former President Bill Clinton, who instituted strict ethics policies during his presidency but rescinded them before his departure.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump made “draining the swamp” a central theme, promising to eliminate institutional corruption in Washington.
Although the slogan took a backseat in his most recent campaign, supporters at his rallies continued to chant “Drain the Swamp!” while Trump vowed to “shatter the Deep State,” referring to entrenched government employees he and his allies view as adversarial.
The White House press office has not confirmed whether Trump plans to introduce a new set of ethics rules to replace those he nullified. Trump himself has expressed skepticism about lobbyists in the past, stating in a 2022 podcast interview, “I was not a big person for lobbyists.” However, critics argue that Trump’s actions suggest otherwise.
Rob Kelner, chair of the election and political law practice at Covington & Burling, noted that Trump might issue new executive actions on ethics. However, he also pointed out that existing ethics laws already govern executive branch employees. “There are already hundreds of pages of ethics laws and rules,” Kelner said.
Kelner added that Trump’s decision to revoke Biden’s order could have an immediate impact on former members of the Democratic administration. By eliminating the restrictions, Trump has removed barriers that could have limited their employment opportunities. “As they’re all out looking for jobs, this takes a burden off their shoulders,” Kelner said.
As Trump begins his second term, the rollback of Biden’s ethics rules has reignited debates about corruption and accountability in Washington. Critics argue that the actions undermine efforts to promote transparency and integrity in government, casting doubt on Trump’s original promise to “drain the swamp.”
