--- title: Swamp Thing Crashes Bernhardt Confirmation hearing description: Unexpectedly a green swamp thing monster has crashed David Bernhardt's confirmation hearing thrilling the internet to no end. canonical: https://time.com/5560483/swamp-thing/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-03-28T15:26:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T00:11:43.000Z og:title: Green 'Swamp Thing' Crashes Important Hearing og:description: The internet is amused og:url: https://time.com/5560483/swamp-thing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5daba535aa38572f/6989477a4ee2629bb6314411/swampthing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5013 og:image:height: 2820 og:image:alt: President Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Green 'Swamp Thing' Crashes Important Hearing twitter:description: The internet is amused twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5daba535aa38572f/6989477a4ee2629bb6314411/swampthing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why the 'Swamp Thing' Photobombed a Trump Nominee Who Used to Be a Lobbyist > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9ae80aa9-3773-4fae-b985-3bad5d381d3c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9ae80aa9-3773-4fae-b985-3bad5d381d3c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=9ae80aa9-3773-4fae-b985-3bad5d381d3c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Updated: Dec 13, 2023 12:11 AM UTCPublished: Mar 28, 2019 3:26 PM UTC  Deputy Secretary of Department of Interior David Bernhardt listens as President Donald Trump speaks at White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Nov. 01, 2017\. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Deputy Secretary of Department of Interior David Bernhardt listens as President Donald Trump speaks at White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Nov. 01, 2017\. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post/Getty Images by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Updated: Dec 13, 2023 12:11 AM UTCPublished: Mar 28, 2019 3:26 PM UTC Donald Trump promised to [drain the swamp](http://time.com/donald-trump-drain-swamp/) as president, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that his critics would eventually find a way to use that line against his administration. But the way it was used against Interior Secretary nominee David Bernhardt amused the internet. When former fossil fuels lobbyist David Bernhardt was testifying at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Thursday, a spectator who could be seen just over his shoulder on C-SPAN calmly put on a Swamp Thing mask and sat stoically. It turns out, Greenpeace was behind the stunt, sharing Thursday afternoon that the organization staged the move to urge Senators to oppose Bernhardt’s nomination. “David Bernhardt heading the Interior Department would be a dream come true for fossil fuel companies, but a nightmare for the American people. If ethical violations alone don’t disqualify him from holding this position, his record of selling out public lands and waters to his industry buddies should,” a statement read. > [](https://twitter.com/TalKopan/status/1111322057487339521) See some of the best swamp thing tweets below. > [](https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1111274533862981635) > [](https://twitter.com/crafting%5Fchange/status/1111278874543960064) > [](https://twitter.com/IvElmo/status/1111275522259124224) > [](https://twitter.com/kylamandel/status/1111273862765924353) > [](https://twitter.com/DaHalperin/status/1111273558024613889) > [](https://twitter.com/dvluvmsusa1/status/1111276803845427200) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5560483/swamp-thing/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5560483/swamp-thing/"},"headline":"Why the 'Swamp Thing' Photobombed a Trump Nominee Who Used to Be a Lobbyist","datePublished":"2019-03-28T15:26:36.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T00:11:43.000Z","description":"Unexpectedly a green swamp thing monster has crashed David Bernhardt's confirmation hearing thrilling the internet to no end.","url":"https://time.com/5560483/swamp-thing/","keywords":["Newsfeed","viral","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5daba535aa38572f/6989477a4ee2629bb6314411/swampthing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ashley Hoffman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5daba535aa38572f/6989477a4ee2629bb6314411/swampthing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Donald Trump","caption":"Swamp thing crashes confirmation hearing","creditText":"The Washington Post/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5560483/swamp-thing/","name":"Why the 'Swamp Thing' Photobombed a Trump Nominee Who Used to Be a Lobbyist"}}]}] ```