The Smell of the Swamp

by Mark Steyn
Tucker Carlson Tonight
October 11, 2019

https://www.steynonline.com/9777/the-smell-of-the-swamp

This morning, Friday, I'll be starting the day on the curvy couch at "Fox & Friends", just after 8am Eastern/5am Pacific, before heading over to EIB to guest-host America's Number One radio show. You can dial us up via the iHeart app or on one of over 600 actual radio stations - such as WNTK a ways south of me in New Hampshire, where you can listen to the full show from anywhere on the planet right here.

Thursday's Tucker ratings will be boffo, but not because of me. President Trump landed in Minneapolis shortly before Tucker went on air, and started speaking about two-thirds of the way into the show. I did my best to serve as warm-up act. The first topic for discussion was CNN's coziness with Turkish strongman Erdoğan. Click below to watch:

Next up was Ronan Farrow's new book, and its damning portrait of the lengths both Hillary Clinton and NBC management went to protect Harvey Weinstein:

Finally we got to the subject preponderant - President Trump, the rally and impeachment. My main point was that Trump was elected to drain the swamp, and Hunter Biden's fifty grand a month for a non-job is what the swamp smells like. Here's a brief excerpt from that segment, courtesy of the pajama boys at Media Matters, who, as is their wont, didn't care for the cut of my jib:

We'll air the full segment if it's posted, but you can see the full hour with Tucker here.

If you're a member of The Mark Steyn Club please feel free to weigh in below. We have fun in the Steyn Club (for more info, please see here) and, if you know of a wee lad or lassie of a Steynian bent, there's always the perfect pre-Columbus Day present: a Steyn Club Gift Membership - or alternatively a stateroom on the third annual Mark Steyn Club Cruise.

See you on the TV in a couple of hours, and on the radio at midday Eastern - and do give me a call.

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28 Reader Comments

Cottesloe dreaming • Oct 12, 2019 at 03:57

So the Smell of the Swamp is CNN v Fox. The Kurds have been betrayed again and no doubt they saw it coming. It's nothing new.
Mark, you said "On CNN it was Kurds , Kurds , Kurds all the time ", well, why wouldn't it be ?
Trump isn't a Grandmaster , he's a move the pieces kibitzer.

Kate Smyth

Cottesloe dreaming • Oct 12, 2019 at 15:26

Apparently ISIS prisoners and detained "families of foreign fighters" are (predictably) already on the loose...

Sol • Oct 11, 2019 at 22:34

The swamp is where democracy croaks. Campaigning in all 50 states, against the odds, is the fertile field for regrowth. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, the things the people of this country will do when called upon and believed in.

Dennis • Oct 11, 2019 at 18:23

It was great to see Mark appear on Tucker's show longer than the usual one quick appearance.

I just learned that a host job on FNC became available today when Shephard Smith "resigned" A Twitter report said the position will be filled by revolving hosts. Mark's specialty is guest hosting or revolving on various shows, so I hope he's one of the chosen. Then once the FNC decision makers realize Mark and Tammy Bruce are the 2 best revolving hosts, then they will be given the gig on a news/opinion show.

Note-The regulars on the "Goofy Greg Gutfeld Show" are a politically and comedically disparate assemblage of affable oddballs (meant respectfully) and Mark seems to have difficulty blending in with them or finding his Gutfeld Show oddball niche at times. If Mark doesn't try to blend in with them or be something different than his usually entertaining persona he will do much better IMO, This is free amateur agent advice that I hope doesn't lead to an expulsion from the Club.

Kate Smyth

Dennis • Oct 11, 2019 at 23:28

Whether or not it's welcome it's nonetheless very good advice, Dennis (in my non-humble opinion).

Fran Lavery

Dennis • Oct 12, 2019 at 08:01

At least, there's nobody voting anyone off the island around here. I think a sign of creative genius is when one can adapt to any kind of format and seem like a natural. If the other guests tried out Mark's accent it could be hilarious. I often tried to imitate his unique accent but it's impossible for me to get more than a few words right. I can amuse myself intermittently trying; possibly a little coaching would help.

Paul Cathey

Dennis • Oct 12, 2019 at 14:00

Great idea, Dennis. I didn't know that S.S.'s slot was going to be a revolving host position. There's nobody better than Mark and Tammy Bruce. And, isn't Laura Ingraham giving up her full-time show to be a mom (may her tribe increase)? It would be perfect for her to have a regular part-time slot. Mark, Tammy and Laura would be can't-miss T.V.

Janet Long • Oct 11, 2019 at 15:18

I would look forward to a column from you, Mark, on your take of the fascist mayor of Minneapolis and his efforts to thwart the rally, including allowing violence against rally-goers and thereby threatening their right to free speech and peaceful assembly. One can only wish that each one of those attendees escaped without harm to themselves or their MAGA hat and will vote the abominable mayor AND Ms Omar out.

Jean Abbas • Oct 11, 2019 at 12:01

I grew up in Minneapolis and now live in Mississippi. I think I know what is happening in Minnesota politically. Minnesota may be liberal but it is a different kind of liberal than the coasts. They are very serious about doing the right thing. Because the left at this point is demonstrably corrupt, I think Minnesotans are finally seeing the left for what it is and it is actually changing their minds.

David Coats

Jean Abbas • Oct 11, 2019 at 18:50

Jean, you are correct about Minnesotans being a very different kind of liberal! I lived and worked in Mpls for two years and had/have family that live in the rural parts of the state. They are an enigma! For the most part they live very conservative lives and have very conservative values. But because of the importance of the Federal farm programs, the influence on those policies/programs by the DFL Party, along with the influence of favorite sons Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, Eugene McCarthy, and Paul Wellstone, the state has traditionally voted Democrat. The influx of a large Somali and Hispanic migrant population has further weakened the understanding and love of our nation's founding principles. Hopefully Trump will swing MN away from their illogical DNC addiction.

Sam Jyawook • Oct 11, 2019 at 10:04

Making jest while people are being killed not funny" No friends but the mountain " old Kurdish saying. leaving your allies to be slaughtered never a good policy any time anyhow. Regardless of who support or does

John Cholakovski

Sam Jyawook • Oct 12, 2019 at 00:59

The Turks and Kurds have been fighting amongst themselves for centuries. If the U.S was to interfere militarily or broker peace, it would be culturally insensitive and against the Turks/Kurds long standing tradition of waging war.

Sam Jyawook

John Cholakovski • Oct 12, 2019 at 10:11

You are not correct and mixing your history and being very insensitive there is no centuries of fighting the Kurdish area was part of the Ottoman Empire it was divided by the allies after the war and the Kurds were left without a country .We should not have been there in the first place .Leaving your allies to be slaughtered not a good policy nowhere no how dismissing it like nothing while Kurds and Christians being slaughter is not excused by anyone will be a stain on all.

Brian from Minneapolis • Oct 11, 2019 at 09:41

Typical liberal protests getting violent over here. No need for me to apologize for actions that come from such an unhinged base. They have their own agents to deal with that drama aka Fake News.

Regarding China. Yes it has to do with money but more so it has to do with the fact they're a minority group, making it a two for one deal. If Russia was still the USSR and had a NBA deal, no one would care since they'd still be the enemy and the NBA would've cut all ties with Russia the moment Trump won in 2016. On top of that, they represent the very government they want the US to be. Who better to chum up with than with the ones they whom to aspire to be.

Not only the NBA, but Apple as well is in on the act. It comes to show you that selective wokeness can be bought.

Owen Morgan • Oct 11, 2019 at 09:29

The so-called whistleblower, we learn, worked with one of the Democrat candidates. Working out that that was Biden did not take the talents of Sherlock Holmes. I've nearly lost count of the candidates for the Democrats' nomination *, but I think only two of them were members of Obama's administration and only Biden had any reason to be involved with the CIA to any extent whatever.

Biden's concern about Ukraine is easily explained, but this is a really odd way of deflecting attention. There again, no-one ever said Joe, the only Neil Kinnock plagiarist in history, was the brightest kid in the class (or even the brightest in the lowest percentile).

* Especially since Hillary Clinton is now definitely, well, you never know, not running.

Raymond Swenson

Owen Morgan • Oct 11, 2019 at 10:56

Does Antsy Pelosi think she can go very far with an impeachment based on a phone call to Ukraine about investigating the Bidens without having the Bidens called to testify under oath about their corrupt business deals in Ukraine and China, and Godfather Biden's obstruction of justice, firing a prosecutor to stop an investigation? Isn't that what Nixon was being impeached over? The Dems in the Senate showed they rejected justice and due process in the Kavanaugh hearings, violating their oaths to defend the Constitution. Now the Dems in the House get to demonstrate they are a vast criminal conspiracy reaching overseas.

Raymond Swenson • Oct 11, 2019 at 07:28

I remember how CNN bragged during Operation Desert Storm and again during Operation Iraqi Freedom that they had their news bureau in Baghdad, and that people should watch their channel to find out what was truly happening in Iraq. And then when Saddam Hussein was found in his spider hole, they decided it was safe to fess up and admit that they had been lying shills for Saddam for years, covering up his atrocities, just so they could keep their bureau in Baghdad and tell the world that CNN was the only reliable source of truth about Saddam's Iraq and bolster their ratings. It has been absolutely clear since 2003 that CNN will tell a tyrant's big lies about America as long as it improves their Nielsen ratings.

As for Hillary Clinton being a defender of Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse of women, it is precusely the same response she has continued to have about anyone calling Bill Clinton a dirt bag who uses his power to take sex with women young enough to be his daughter. Just a few months ago, when Monica Lwinsky was brought up during an interview with Hillary, Hillary said that Monica was a legal adult, so she didn't get to complain about Bill using his power as president to get sex from the least powerful people under his control, the White House interns. But that applies to most of the whistle blowing women who complained about Weinstein's casting couch, and most of the women who have identified themselves with the #MeToo movement. Hillary has been killing stories about Bill's "bimbo eruptions" for 40 years. If a beloved TV icon like Matt Lauer can be condemned, why can't Bill be told to never show his face in public again? The reason the Democrats insist on all abortion, all the time, right to and past birth, is to destroy the evidence of the creepy sexual predation by perps like Bill and Harvey and Lauer.

The reason there are several mainstream TV networks instead of just one is so they can bolster each other while they lie. They want to create an artificial "truthiness" consensus so they can tell the public "Don't think too hard about this. Trust us. What we tell you about those powerful creeps--Saddam, Weinstein, Clinton, Lauer, Biden, Charlie Rose, et al--is absolutely true."

Arild

Raymond Swenson • Oct 11, 2019 at 10:22

Good comment Raymond. I have a friend, well 2 friends, well several friends that hate Trump because all the MSM unrelenting use of the same buzzwords saying exactly the same thing is all the proof they need. "Bombshell", "walls are closing in", "threat to our democracy". One actually says when he looks at all the news and they are all saying the same thing they can't all be wrong. Actually red flags should be up, bs alarm detectors should be ringing full blast. Like the Ralph meme with his finger up his nose from the Simpsons "I hate Trump because my tv told me to".

Owen Morgan

Arild • Oct 11, 2019 at 14:41

It's hilarious and telling at the same time, when the meeja not only reach for the same talking-points, but use exactly the same vocabulary, too. For a bunch of people who love banging on about Russia, they behave an awful lot like hacks taking their instructions from the Comintern.

Robert Bresca • Oct 11, 2019 at 06:48

Trump reminds me of the speech General Patton gave his troops telling them that Americans love to fight,love the sting of battle. There is no doubting that the more pressure Trump is under, the happier he seems.

David Coats

Robert Bresca • Oct 11, 2019 at 09:23

Good observation, Robert. Along that theme, Trump also reminds me of Robert Duval as Lt. Col. Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now" when he exclaims, "Do you smell that? It's napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning... The smell, y'know that gasoline smell, that whole hell. Smells like........ Victory."

Unlike most of our squishy cowardly Republican politicians, Trump relishes the battle. He is energized by it and by the smell of victory. And nothing gets under the skin of the swamp creatures more than that. As Trump backs them into a corner their survival instincts kick in causing them to act like crazed wild animals. That's when they're the most dangerous, but also when Trump knows he's winning.

Most of us are repulsed by war but understand that there are existential threats that require defeating and often war is the only option for victory and survival. We are in such a war - an ideological war of survival and preservation of our founding principles against the ever-present enemy, the forces of tyranny.

When those of us who are repulsed by war nevertheless find ourselves fighting for survival we need men like Patton and even the uglier Lt. Col. Kilgore - men made for war who understand the enemy and have the will to defeat them. We need them to lead us in battle because for most of us fighting for survival isn't our normal state of being and existential threats don't play by civilized rules.

Fran Lavery

Robert Bresca • Oct 11, 2019 at 09:34

President Trump was unleashed last night. It's true, he does seem to thrive on conflict with our political enemies.
Fortunately, the Dems haven't figured that out yet so it's helping us stay on track to get another four years to drain the Swampies from Swampistan.

Robert Fox

Fran Lavery • Oct 11, 2019 at 09:54

Unleashed is putting it mildly. The instant he took the stage the gloves came flying off and the brass knuckles went on. The President blew in like a cat 5 hurricane and I LOVED every syllable of it! He is an amazing person. My only regret is once he leaves office we're back to the old decrepit playlist of the lovable losers in the GOP being constantly run over by the corrupt, cagey amoral thieves in the Democrat party aided by a ghastly media which refuses to hold anyone on the left accountable for anything.

Raymond Swenson

David Coats • Oct 11, 2019 at 11:12

The use of napalm in Vietnam was paltry compared to Curtis LeMay sending 130 B-29s at one whack dropping napalm bombs on Japanese cities, killing 50,000 people in one day. My mother and her family survived the bombing of Nagoya in March, 1945, and were able to ride out the remaining months of the war at their uncle's farm in the mountains. My grandfather had been a soldier during World War I and understood that it was the crazy military dictatorship that took power in the 1930s that had brought justice down on Japan after decades of abuse of the people of Korea, China, Southwast Asia and the Philippines. He knew, unlike the military government, that Japan would lose the war when they picked a fight with America.

Robert Bridges

Raymond Swenson • Oct 11, 2019 at 11:47

Small corrections .... Incendiary with white phosphorus ....also 16 squares miles of Tokyo burned with 100000 burned alive and countless later succumbing to burns ...The difference was one bomb , one bonber, on city with nukes. Victor Davis Hansen in his great recent presentation on WWII (from Hillsdale) noted that with VE ALL the thousands of B-17s, 24s, 25s and 26s from the European theater were freed up to join LeMay to reduce all of Japan to ash.

Draining the Swamp , like water holes in dry season or drought in Africa, confines the creatures into a tighter and tighter concentration ....DC Swamp Critters are getting power-wise and money-wise claustrophobic. Also ..The Swamp water being drain is dirty also. Trump is the Mike Rowe of 21st century politics.!

Fran Lavery

Robert Fox • Oct 11, 2019 at 11:52

That thought was running through my head, too. Got to savor the winning and trust it will be contagious!

David Coats

Raymond Swenson • Oct 11, 2019 at 18:27

As your mother's family knows all too well, war is a tremendously ugly and terrible thing. My very kind and gentle father, a man of literature, music, and poetry, a school teacher at the time he was drafted in October 1941, thought well of just about everyone. However, at the end of the war following 6 months of frontline winter combat in the ETO he declared all citizens of Germany guilty. Even the children.

The forces of tyranny have to be defeated and it's an ugly, dirty, messy job. Half measures aren't sufficient. Unconditional surrender is required. And unfortunately as in the case of WWII millions of civilians pay the price, innocent or not.

Thankfully our current civil war is not a shooting war (at least not yet) but the stakes are the same and unconditional surrender by the enemies of liberty is the necessary outcome. Few have the will or the stomach for that. Trump is showing he is up to the challenge, so we will see if he, like Churchill, can rally the necessary troops to achieve the objective of putting out the current fires of socialism and fascism both at home and abroad before we lose the world's last best hope.

Kate Smyth

David Coats • Oct 12, 2019 at 15:32

Excellent comment, David.