At one level within the transcript, Griffin discusses an notorious tweet Trump despatched out through the 2020 George Floyd protests wherein he reasonably unhelpfully wrote, “When the looting begins, the taking pictures begins.”
After being requested if she ever instantly went to Trump to offer him recommendation, Griffin stated the next:
“Sure, however often provided that it was a stroll again of one thing. Like, if he, I can consider various events the place he—essentially the most notable—and, you understand, only for the file, this was the primary time I considered resigning and did not. However after George Floyd’s homicide and the social justice protests of summer time of 2020—I assume it might have been June of 2020—he tweeted one thing alongside the traces of, ‘when the looting begins, the taking pictures begins.’ And, I imply, I and each residing, respiration individual was horrified by it. However I walked into his workplace and we had been getting crushed—you understand, even FOX Information was like, that is horrible.
“So l walked into the eating room and stated, like, sir, like, you could stroll this again. I used to be like, even your pals are coming after you. And he was like, what are you speaking about? So he watches tv on TiVo. So, like, quite a lot of occasions he is like half-hour behind on the information and would not know what’s really taking place in actual time, after which he has to fast-forward to catch up, which is, anyway, weird. However—so he fast-forwards and realizes he’s getting criticized. So I introduced him, like, the primary stroll again, which was alongside the traces of, what I meant to say is, when there’s looting, inevitably violence follows, and violence is horrible. Like, everybody stand down and be peaceable.
“And he stated, ‘No, no, no. That is not what I meant. What I meant is, like, when the looting begins, persons are going to get shot.’ And I am like, oh, nice. So l spent in regards to the subsequent 5 hours making an attempt to get a model of a tweet that he would, that he could be okay with. He finally tweeted one thing that was, I would not say useful, however it was not less than considerably deescalatory.”
Griffin additionally notes a number of occasions the place Trump known as for folks to be executed.
“You guys will keep in mind the reporting of, I consider it was The New York Instances, that the previous President went into the bunker throughout this era of protests. And he was livid that that received out. Somebody had leaked it and no matter. However I was in a gathering with him. I consider Lawyer Common [Bill] Barr was there, I believe Chairman [Mark] Milley, and others. And he stated, ‘Whoever leaked that ought to be executed. They’re a traitor to their President. They need to be executed.’ And that, to me, | was, like I imply, that is simply beautiful, that it was simply beautiful coming from him. However he thought very – something that, like, disaligned with him, he had very sturdy opinions about. And he, I imply, there’s numerous occasions the place he talks, like, knocking folks’s heads collectively. And he needed to see -after the George Floyd homicide, he needed to see violence and exhibits of power on the street.
“And it was – I give super credit score to Chairman Milley for really like providing him an answer and deescalating it, as a result of he was speaking about militarizing our streets with Energetic Responsibility [troops], and it was – all of it to say, sure, this can be a man who did not draw back from violence if it supported his causes, as we noticed.”
Wait, you imply the man who needed to shoot immigrants within the legs, construct moats full of alligators to maintain them out, and roll tanks into the streets of our main cities to quell protests by no means actually modified his thoughts about indiscriminately taking pictures Americans within the streets? Surprising.
Griffin additionally notes that she thought of resigning within the wake of the Trump response to the 2020 uprisings, however didn’t—as a result of “the query in my thoughts was, if I depart, who’s going to exchange me? And, truthfully, what I used to be most fearful it was going to be Jenna Ellis. And I am like, what issues may occur if she’s there? So l stayed.”
After all, not solely will Trump blithely glom onto conspiracy theories after they dovetail along with his personal fowl mind (see: the 2020 presidential election), he’s additionally unusually inclined to the beguiling blandishments of the final individual he talked to. And that’s an issue if that individual occurs to be Matt Effing Gaetz.
At one level within the transcript, Griffin discusses an incident the place Gaetz stoked Trump’s already seething rage at one in every of his media nemeses, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough.
“The opposite factor is … he is a product of his advisers. I imply, employees is every thing in these jobs, and somebody may put one thing in entrance of him and it may fully change his thoughts on one thing. That is anecdotal, however it can sort of seize it for you.
“I keep in mind, not related to January sixth, however I might heard Jim Jordan was within the West Wing and Matt Gaetz was with him, and I nonetheless had a very good relationship with Jim at that time, so determined to go and say hello to him. And I am ready outdoors of the Outer Oval with Gaetz and Jordan, and Kayleigh McEnany was with me. And Jim and I are simply taking pictures—taking pictures the crap. … And Gaetz has this folder. And I stated, you understand, what’s that? And he pulls it out. It is conspiracy theories about Joe Scarborough murdering his intern. And I stated, please don’t convey that into the West Wing—or to the Oval Workplace.
“We had been actually outdoors of the Outer Oval. And simply as I am saying that—I stated, you can’t put that in entrance of the President, he—he will get ushered in. And certain sufficient, inside—by the subsequent morning, the previous President is tweeting wild conspiracy theories a couple of cable information host, you understand, allegedly murdering his intern.
“So that provides you a way of like, simply sort of chaos.”
Fortunately Gaetz is only a demon sperm propagator and never a demon sperm physician, however it’s nonetheless alarming to learn simply how gullible Trump was (and ostensibly nonetheless is) in the case of outlandish conspiracy theories.
RELATED STORY: Jan. 6 probe releases transcripts for Ginni Thomas, Rudy Giuliani, Tony Ornato, different key witnesses
Oh, and keep in mind all these desperately hopeful theories that Trump’s daughter Ivanka would one way or the other be a moderating affect on the dyspeptic smegma golem who sired her? Yeah, that was all bullshit, too.
“I believe folks known as on Ivanka after they wanted to—after they had a tough time getting by means of to the President. I do not know that I noticed a ton of proof that it modified outcomes. There’s a few of these—like, there is a handful of form of myths which have been created, and I do not know if it is, like, as a result of folks pushed sure PR or what, however there was additionally this narrative that Hope Hicks may get by means of to him and push again on him. I by no means as soon as noticed Hope Hicks ever push again on him. And that Ivanka was, like, the voice of purpose and will get him to alter his thoughts.
“I like Ivanka. She was very respectable to me. However I by no means noticed her change his opinion on one thing. And it was Ivanka, Hope, and Jared that satisfied him to do the entire Lafayette Sq. photograph op and clearing the park with pressure form of factor. So additionally—I query this notion that she had form of glorious judgment that we—I do not know. I did not see her presence altering issues for the higher is my level.”
There’s quite a bit lot extra. At one level, Griffin admits she was “relieved” Joe Biden received the election. She additionally calls former White Home Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany a “liar and an opportunist” who knew Trump had misplaced, however did what she needed to do to get that Fox Information gig of her goals. Griffin additionally had some alternative phrases to explain her longtime boss Mark Meadows.
Nonetheless, I believe my favourite line of Griffin’s is that this description of Trump: “This can be a man who will at all times do the worst factor.” It is simply 11 phrases, conveying a fact so many people have lengthy recognized.
It’s an extended transcript and could be nice for some leisurely rest room studying. Primarily as a result of the toilet can also be the place folks scrub themselves uncooked after coming in touch with poisonous waste and do the lion’s share of their vomiting. If solely eye-wash stations had been commonplace in most properties as nicely.
The complete transcript is right here, in the event you’re so inclined.
RELATED STORY: We’ve received each single one of many January 6 committee transcripts launched to this point, multi function place
Take a look at Aldous J. Pennyfarthing’s four-volume Trump-trashing compendium, together with the finale, Goodbye, Asshat: 101 Farewell Letters to Donald Trump, at this hyperlink. Or, in the event you want a take a look at drive, you may obtain the epilogue to Goodbye, Asshat for the low, low worth of FREE.
English
العربية
简体中文
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
हिन्दी
日本語
Русский
Español