HBO HBO's documentary The Swamp
There’s a new documentary debuting this week called The Swamp, which follows three Republican congressmen to provide a revealing look at Washington D.C. It premieres Tuesday, August 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
If you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch The Swamp on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device:
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Amazon Prime’s HBO Channel
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber or you want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all live and on-demand HBO content via the HBO Amazon Channel, which comes with a seven-day free trial:
Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the HBO channel, you can then watch The Swamp either live as it airs or on-demand anytime after.
For either option, you can watch on your computer via the Amazon website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or other streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
Watch HBO on Hulu
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, HBO is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV. If you’re a new subscriber, you can start a free 30-day trial of regular Hulu plus the HBO add-on:
Once signed up for Hulu and the HBO add-on, you can watch The Swamp live as it airs, or you can watch it on-demand anytime after.
You can watch on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 (on-demand only), Nintendo Switch, Echo Show or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
‘The Swamp’ Preview
According to HBO’s press release, The Swamp “provides a look behind the curtain of Washington politics by following three renegade Republican Congressmen as they bring libertarian and conservative zeal to champion the President’s call to “drain the swamp,” while facing demands to raise money for their re-election campaigns and the Republican national party.”
The congressmen are Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ken Buck (R-CO), who were followed over the course of a year as they navigated “a system that rewards fundraising above all else, plaguing Congress on both sides of the aisle.”
With unique behind-the-scenes access to the inner workings of the House of Representatives amid major breaking news events, including the Mueller hearing and President Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings, the film presents a revealing look at the core democratic institution of American government.
Following the politicians over the course of 2019, the filmmakers took a cinema verité approach to exploring the realities of Congressional work in a dysfunctional system. With unfettered access to Gaetz, one of President Trump’s closest allies in Congress; Massie, who is known in Washington as “Mr. No” due to his independent voting record; and Buck, a founding member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus; the filmmakers trail the members as they navigate the potentially corrupting realities of their fundraising requirements while providing honest insight into the intoxicating nature of the power they wield. Through candid interviews and revealing scenes beyond the usual news coverage, THE SWAMP highlights how the prevalence of lobbyists and special interest groups in Washington can influence policy based on financial contributions and how Congressmembers’ ability to get key committee assignments depends on how much money they are able to bring in, reflecting both their rank and their ability to affect legislation.
Also featured in the documentary are the congressmen’s staff members, and political advocates, including Congressmen Ro Khanna (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), former Congresswoman Katie Hill (D-CA), and Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig.
The Swamp premieres Tuesday, August 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
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