Trump is done with ‘drain the swamp’ rhetoric, Gingrich says

In the final push up to the Nov. 8 presidential election, "drain the swamp" became a signature slogan for Republican Donald Trump, but now that he's heading to Washington, D.C., it seems the president-elect has moved on from the bold rhetoric.

"I'm told he now just disclaims that. He now says it was cute, but he doesn't want to use it anymore," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a close Trump adviser, told NPR in an interview published Wednesday morning. "I've noticed on a couple of fronts, like people chanting ‘lock her up,’ that he's in a different role now."

Gingrich went on to say that, given Trump is just about a month away from officially becoming president of the United States, it's time to be "marginally more dignified than talking about alligators in swamps."

The former speaker, though, liked the phrase, which he argued "vividly illustrates the problem, because all people in this city who are the alligators are going to hate the swamp being drained."

However, it is worth noting that, in the first days of his transition process, Trump's team seemed filled to the brim with the establishment: Lobbyists, former Wall Street executives and longtime politicians. The businessman did institute a lobbying ban, which caused some to leave the team, though there are still many Washington insiders in the mix.

Gingrich, for his part, has quickly adjusted to Trump's wishes, abandoning the popular rhetoric right along with the president-elect.

"You know, he is my leader, and if he decides to drop the swamp and the alligator, I will drop the swamp and the alligator," he said.

Following his victory last month, Trump decided in early December to begin holding "thank you" rallies in states that helped thrust him to an electoral victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. During an event in Florida last week, the incoming president noted that his crowds have become more docile since his win on Election Day.

"You people were vicious, violent, screaming, 'Where's the wall? We want the wall!' Screaming, 'Prison! Prison! Lock her up!' I mean you are going crazy. I mean, you were nasty and mean and vicious and you wanted to win, right?" he told the Orlando crowd, adding, "But now, you’re mellow and you’re cool and you’re not nearly as vicious or violent, right? Because we won, right?"