Who said it is hard to drain the swamp when you are up to in alligators panama canal?

The phrase "It's hard to drain the swamp when you're up to your ass in alligators" is attributed to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. He used it to illustrate the challenges of dealing with complex problems while being overwhelmed by immediate issues. The metaphor emphasizes the difficulty of addressing larger goals when bogged down by urgent, distracting matters.