Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper called it a “threat to democracy.” Former National Security Advisor John Bolton declared that he was “unfit to be president.” Former Vice President Mike Pence refused to endorse him, citing “deep differences.”
As Donald Trump seeks the presidency for a third time, he faces stiff opposition from an outspoken group of former officials who are direly wary of his return to power and offer dire predictions for the country and the rule of law if his campaign is successful.
It is an astonishing chorus of critics, unprecedented in modern times, coming from those who witnessed first-hand his conduct in office and the turmoil that followed.
Sarah Matthews, a former Trump aide who testified before the House committee on January 6 and is among those who have warned of the threat he poses, said it was “astonishing” how many of his senior staff condemned him.
“These are people who saw him up close and personal and saw his leadership style,” Matthews said. He added: “The American people should listen to what these people are saying, because it should be alarming that the people Trump appointed to work with him for a first term say he is not fit to serve a second term.”
However, critics remain a distinct minority. Republican lawmakers and officials from across the party have backed Trump's bid — some reluctantly, others enthusiastically and enthusiastically. Many aides and Cabinet officials who served under Trump are up for another term, something the Trump campaign was quick to highlight.
“A majority of people who have served in President Trump’s Cabinet and in his administration, like the majority of Americans, overwhelmingly supported his candidacy to beat conman Joe Biden and reclaim the White House,” Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung said.
However, the Biden campaign has promoted criticism of former Trump officials in its statements and social media posts, hoping to convince at least some Republican voters — including those who supported other candidates during the GOP primaries — that they cannot support his candidacy.
“Those who have worked with Donald Trump at the highest levels of his administration believe he is too dangerous, too selfish and too hawkish to lead our country again — we agree with that,” Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said.
In many ways, the divide among Trump's former officials is an extension of his time in the White House. The friction was ongoing as Trump's demands faced resistance from some officials and aides who rejected requests they found misleading, unrealistic and, at times, outright illegal. Shootings were frequent. Many quit.
The staff turmoil was particularly acute in the chaotic weeks following the 2020 election as Trump worked to overturn his election loss to Biden. Trump summoned his supporters to Washington on January 6, 2021, where his lies about a stolen election became a rallying cry for supporters who violently stormed the US Capitol. Several people working in the department resigned in protest, including Matthews.
Trump's bid to remain in office included a bitter pressure campaign against Pence, who, as vice president, was tasked with presiding over the counting of the Electoral College votes on January 6. Trump was adamant that Pence should prevent Biden from becoming president, something he should have done. No strength to do. Pence was forced to flee the Senate chamber on January 6 when rioters stormed the building chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”
Pence recently said he “could not in good conscience” support Trump because of January 6 and other issues, though he is proud of what they have achieved together.
And Pence is not alone.
Esper, who was fired by Trump days after the 2020 election, clashed with the then-president over several issues, including Trump's push to deploy military forces to respond to civil unrest after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.
In a recent interview with HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, Esper reiterated his warning that Trump represents a “threat to democracy,” and added, “I think there's a lot to be concerned about.”
“There's no way I'm going to vote for Trump, but every day that Trump does something crazy, the door to voting for Biden opens up a little bit more, and that's where I'm at,” Esper said.
Among Trump's harshest critics are former aides who worked closely with him in the White House, particularly the trio who gained notoriety while testifying about the Jan. 6 attack and Trump's push to overturn the election.
The group includes Matthews, former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farrah Griffin, and Cassidy Hutchinson, a former senior aide to Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows. They have given a series of interviews in recent months to oppose their former boss.
“Basically, a second Trump term could mean the end of American democracy as we know it, and I don't say that lightly,” Griffin told ABC in December.
John Kelly, Trump's former chief of staff, had a long falling out with Trump. In a lengthy statement to CNN in October, Kelly described Trump as “someone who admires murderous tyrants and tyrants” and who has “nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”
Olivia Troye, a former Pence adviser who left the White House in 2020, and former press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who resigned on January 6, are both outspoken critics who have said they did not vote for Trump in 2020.
Even Bill Barr, Trump's former attorney general, who has not ruled out voting for him again, referred to Trump as a “consummate narcissist” who “consistently engages in reckless behavior that endangers his political underlings and the conservative and Republican agenda.” “.
However, the ranks of former Trump officials who oppose his bid outnumber those who support him.
Linda McMahon, who headed the Small Business Administration under Trump, is co-chairing a major fundraiser for the former president on Saturday in Florida, along with former Trump Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
McMahon also serves as chairman of the America First Policy Institute, which is packed with former Trump-supporting officials and is described as an “administration in waiting” for Trump's second term.
The institute is headed by Brock Rollins, Trump's former domestic policy official, and counts Pence's national security adviser and retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg among its presidents, along with former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Trump's trade representative in the United States, Robert Lighthizer, and former Secretary of State. Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow.
Previous representation is coming. General Matthew Whitaker campaigned for Trump, as did former Housing Secretary Ben Carson, whom he described as “America’s friend.”
Trump also had the support of former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, former Interior Secretary and Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, and Russell Vought, who ran Trump's Office of Management and Budget.
Trump is “the only person I trust to hit the deep state with the wrecking ball,” Vogt said in a post on X.
Trump supporters are also quick to dismiss critics in the party.
Carmen McVean, who attended Trump's rally on Tuesday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said those who speak negatively against Trump or refuse to endorse him are RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, and will only help Biden and Democrats.
“There are a lot of RINOs that don't do what they're supposed to do,” McVean said. “It's time for everyone to support us and move forward with full force.”
Price writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Green Bay, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
