In her book “Fascism: A Warning,” Madeleine Albright says Benito Mussolini “initiated a campaign to ‘drenare la palude’ (‘drain the swamp’) by firing more than 35,000 civil servants.”
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Albright said Mussolini “initiated a campaign to ‘drenare la palude’ (’drain the swamp’) by firing more than 35,000 civil servants.”
She’s on target about Mussolini’s bureaucracy-busting efforts, as well as the importance of draining swamps – both literal and figurative – within his fascist philosophy.
However, experts said Mussolini did not use the Italian version of Trump’s “drain the swamp” term, weakening Albright’s rhetorical connection between the leaders.
We rate the statement Half True.
To read the full fact check, go to politifact.com.