What is amazing is that it was an in-your-face 4-year event that became increasingly obvious even to most outsiders.
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Trump exhibited an extreme reluctance to fire people. Somewhat ironic in that this is what he was known for.
Being an outsider its understandable that he was at a disadvantage coming into and dealing with the Swamp. But his reluctance to remove people compounded his problems IMO.
The bureaucracy is a formidable force. They only respond to power and the willingness to exercise it without constraints.
IMO his training and business instincts led him while in the WH to hire based primarily on the applicant's resume and the advise of trusted individuals. We can surmise the latter often were naïve or subscribed to a different agenda.
But his reluctance to remove people compounded his problems IMO.
Deceit and betrayal in the commercial world that framed Trump's experience is generally horizontal whereas can be of equal parts vertical in the Swamp's political world. It was reported he was restrained by trusted individuals in his own political party who warned of the great likelihood of removal from office were he to fire as he thought necessary. I.e., he spent 4 years essentially walking on a knife edge.
I think it likely we will see a robust counter-punch, albeit in the making one in slow-motion, even if he does not contend for a future presidency.