During a commentator panel, yet another former Donald Trump aide spoke out about the former president’s mental instability and dangerous beliefs. With days left before the election, several former Trump staffers have come forward to warn Americans (particularly Republicans) against voting for Trump, reminding them what’s at stake.
The CNN panel reacted to Hillary Clinton’s comments on the election after she asserted that Trump was “more unhinged, more unstable” than he was in previous elections, citing his “word salad” and inability to follow or answer questions. Her comments struck a chord with one member of the panel, Sarah Matthews, a former White House press aide, who concurred that Trump “isn’t the same man” she used to work for.
“I think that something in him broke after the 2020 election,” she said. “He was unable to accept that loss and he started to unravel.” Matthews stood by her initial support for Trump since he ran as an outsider in 2016. But in 2020, voters weren’t impressed with Trump’s track record in his first term.
“In 2020, obviously, the American people rejected him and then now in 2024, he’s hell-bent on revenge and retribution,” Matthews commented. Trump has always favored divisive rhetoric and railed against his critics, but he’s really ramped it up in recent weeks. His unhinged behavior has differentiated Trump even further from his opponent, Kamala Harris.
Matthews praised Harris for positioning herself as distinctly different from Trump, with the message, “he has an enemy list, and I have a to-do list.” Breaking down the fundamental differences between the two, Matthews added, “She’s focused on solutions, he’s focused on petty arguments and getting revenge on people.”
It’s notable that in the last days of the election, there are a growing number of Republicans, particularly former Trump aides, who have come out in support of Harris. Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, recently commented to multiple news outlets about the former president’s concerning affinity for fascism.
Kelly admitted that Trump, “certainly prefers the dictator approach to government,” and went into detail about Trump’s high regard for Nazi generals, recalling a discussion with Trump where he expressed admiration for the loyalty of “German generals.” Kelly recalled his attempt to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, replying, “Do you mean the Kaiser’s generals? Surely you can’t mean Hitler’s generals?” Ultimately, Kelly was too generous, as he said Trump affirmed, “Yeah, yeah, Hitler’s generals.”
Though Trump would love to be able to discredit Kelly as a one-off disgruntled former staffer, Kelly’s comments received support from 13 former Trump aides (including Sarah Matthews) in an open letter to voters.
“The revelations General Kelly brought forward are disturbing and shocking,” the letter reads. “But because we know Trump and have worked for and alongside him, we were sadly not surprised.” The letter addressed “the danger of a second Trump term,” and acknowledged the abnormality of the situation. Though the 13 staffers in the letter identified themselves as “lifelong Republicans,” they admitted, “there are moments in history where it becomes necessary to put country over party. This is one of those moments.”
Published: Oct 26, 2024 07:40 am