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OPINION | Former Trump officials, if you saw anything say so

2020-08-28T19:37:38.724Z


Some may say that sharing secrets of the inner sanctuary of the White House is dishonorable, even despicable. That is true, on one level. But there is a higher and more important value in play ...


Editor's Note: Juleanna Glover is an advisor to corporate CEOs and has served as an advisor to many Republican politicians, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and the late Senator John McCain. She is a member of the Policy Advisory Council of the Biden Institute, a research and policy center of the University of Delaware. The opinions expressed in this comment are yours. See more opinion at cnne.com/opinion

(CNN) - In some ways, Miles Taylor was being grossly disloyal when he announced this week that he was forming a group of current and former Trump officials who will join him in publicly declaring that 4 more years of President Donald Trump would be catastrophic for him. country.

But Taylor, who served in the Department of Homeland Security as chief of staff, should be a model for current and former Trump officials. Most should say what they know in their hearts before the election.

Taylor said he witnessed President Trump repeatedly putting his own political interests before the national security of the American people. He described 4 more years of Trump as "unthinkable." There are other current and former Trump officials who think the same. The Trump years are filled with reports of employees whispering their concerns anonymously to the media and outside allies.

Some may say that sharing secrets of the inner sanctuary of the White House is dishonorable, even despicable. That is true, on one level. But there is a higher and more important value at stake here than loyalty to your boss: loyalty to your country.

For past and current officials who have witnessed presidential behavior that assures them that a second Trump term would be devastating for America, indiscretion pales as a vice compared to silence and complicity in harming their country.

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Some of these officials probably never thought it was a good idea for Trump to be president in the first place. These silent sleepers showed up at Trump Tower during the transition as low-key technocrats, albeit with long-standing ties to the Conservative movement.

They should share specific examples of presidential behavior that support their beliefs. Taylor spoke of a president convinced he has "magical powers" that supersede the rule of law, a man who wanted to withhold emergency aid to citizens living in California as political punishment, use family separation as a deterrent for those seeking refuge and that he will enter a second term more emboldened to use the power for "shock and awe."

Following his lead, officials should provide as much detail as possible, including saying the names of other people in the room who will be asked to double-check the accounts.

Some former Trump officials who are already out of office may think that biting your tongue has its advantages. There is not. Our question to these former officials is: do you think four more years of Trump would be devastating for this country? If the answer is yes, speak soon.

Say what you saw and what you know. It's not safer to sit quietly on the sidelines, not long-term for the careers of these former officials, and certainly not for America. Former senior officials who sit in silence face condemnation from the majority of Americans and the plurality of business, cultural and academic leadership. It can be argued that taking a moral stand now vastly improves your long-term career prospects in all the usual places of post-government service. It is a selfish calculation, but each one will weigh it, inevitably.

Keeping silent also forever relegates these current and former officials to the Trump wing of the party. Do you really want to be part of the campaign staff for Donald Jr., Jared or Ivanka? Standing up now, they may be the architects of the future post (and perhaps anti) Trump Republican.

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Each new account of Trump's debauchery of the sacred office of the presidency may be just another drop in the bucket already brimming with scandalous reports. But media reports on these current and former members sharing what they know, day after day, can make a difference.

If it looks like Trump could pull off another victory, each current official must weigh whether he will continue into a second term. If they can endure continued service and the election seems too close to call, history should give these public servants a pass if they remain silent. We all benefit from their sacrifice.

If in doubt, consider what harm could be done if another unqualified Trump thug assumed his responsibilities in key positions for our defense and economy. For these few who understand the danger Trump poses, the moral mandate to continue serving may be more valuable to our collective good than the redemptive liberation of saying what they know to be true: man is unfit for the oval office.

One day they will be able to tell their stories, but perhaps not in time to make a significant difference by stopping what they undoubtedly fear: 4 more years.

Beyond these few crucial technocrats, all current and former Trump officials who know in their hearts that another four years under Trump are an irreconcilable threat to the nation should speak up soon. If they saw something, they should say so.

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-08-28

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