This series tracks Republicans and Trump associates who have leapt off the bandwagon. Read part one here, part two here, part three here, part four here and part five here. Click on the name for the source of the quote.
37. Mike Murphy, Republican political consultant, advisor to John McCain and Mitt Romney:
“A Moscow loving grifter is on the loose in the White House. Shame on the Vichy Republicans who constantly enable him.
38. Chuck Douglas, former Republican congressman for New Hampshire:
“So-called conservative leader Trump said last year that if Putin denied meddling in our elections he believed him. Really? What turnip truck did Donald Trump fall off?”
39. Jennifer Horn, former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party:
“Trump imagines himself to be a strong, military-like leader, or a mob-boss who demands pure loyalty ... But this illusory idea of Trump is make-believe, a fantasy character who lives only in his own imagination, like a child who pretends to be Spiderman while wearing his superhero Underoos. In the real world, Donald Trump has failed in the face of every critical challenge as President.
40. Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney 2006-2018, former vice-president of The Trump Organization:
“I am ashamed of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.”
41. John Weaver, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party and strategist for George H.W. Bush:
“We are in the middle of a pandemic that is much worse than it needs to be because of his [Trump’s] malfeasance at the beginning and throughout the course of it. We are in deep recession. He has no vision.”
42. William Kristol, veteran Republican who worked in the Reagan Administration and as Vice President Quayle’s chief of staff under G.H.W. Bush:
“My appeal to Trump supporters is simple. It is to become former Trump supporters ... Donald Trump is not up to the job of president; he is particularly unsuited to lead the nation in a context of twin public health and economic crises; he can’t be trusted not to throw the country into a crisis of democracy and legitimacy during the forthcoming election campaign.”
43. Carlos Curbelo, former Republican congressman for Florida:
“While we should demand a strong vetting process and orderly, lawful entry, we should never use any religious test. I urge the administration to discontinue this misguided [immigration] policy and instead take action to continue our tradition of welcoming those who are persecuted.”
44. Tim Miller, former campaign director for John McCain and Jeb Bush:
“He [Trump] has degraded the office of the presidency to a degree that would have been unimaginable five years ago. He has ruined our alliances with our allies overseas ... He has bungled and mismanaged the pandemic worse than any leader in the world, except perhaps the mini-Trump in Brazil. He's been an utter failure, and I'm happy to be part of the effort to get rid of him.”
45. Susan Del Percio, Republican strategist:
“When Americans cities are still smoldering from civil unrest, over 100,000 people have died from Covid-19 and 40 million people are unemployed, we need strong leadership ... What we do not need, clearly, are any more words from our actual president, Donald Trump. Indeed, every time Trump opens his mouth, he creates division and ill will through lies, exaggerations and inflammatory misinformation.”
To be continued ...
Readers’ tips in the comments are invited.