play politics

Idioms  

1. Act for personal or political gain rather than principle, as in I don't think this judge is fair—he's playing politics. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

“We know what our job is,” Moriarity said, “it’s not to play politics, but to ensure a thorough investigation, seek justice and to be fair to all involved, and we are committed to doing that.”

From Salon

Their leader Jane Dodds said her deal to pass the Welsh government's budget last month showed she would not "play politics" with people's lives.

From BBC

After Sunak presented his case for the agreement to the House of Commons on Monday, Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, stood to say, “We will not snipe, we will not seek to play politics. Labour will support and vote for it.”

From Washington Post

He was sitting in the PredictIt offices, located a stone’s throw from the Capitol in a building with a green and blue sign out front that says, “PredictIt: Let’s Play Politics.”

From Washington Post

“This is not a time to play politics,” says Carolyn Coleman, executive director of the League of California Cities.

From Los Angeles Times