This series lists Republicans and Trump’s associates now openly criticising him, and shows their reasons.
Click here for parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and eighteen. This is part nineteen.
Click on the name for the source of the quote.
102. Karl Rove, veteran Republican, senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to President George W Bush:
“Big mistake [by Donald Trump]. This [Q Anon] is a group of nuts and kooks and he oughta disavow ’em. They may like him, but they like him because they think he is fighting an incredible war against forces of paedographic evil. It’s just ridiculous. Disavow ’em. Get done with it.” [19 August, 2020]
103. Michael Gerson, senior policy advisor and chief speechwriter for President George W Bush:
“With the whir of a helicopter engine in the background, Donald Trump veered from topic to topic with utter confidence, alarming ignorance, minimal coherence and relentless duplicity.” [23 August, 2020]
104. Robert F. Orr, delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention, retired judge of the North Carolina Supreme Court:
“For registered Republicans like myself who have worked to build and support the Republican Party, we are increasingly dismayed by the failures of this President. This is not only because of his floundering responses to the pandemic, but his continual grasping for power, to the exclusion of our Congress, state governments, local governments, even the subject of science itself.” [14 May, 2020]
105. Will Galloway, South Carolina College Republicans chairman:
“We have to say ‘enough is enough,’ that we are not going to have a president like this, that we are not going to have a betrayal of conservatism and we are not going to have a betrayal of this country.” [14 July, 2020]
106. Clarence Mingo, Republican senior elected official in Ohio:
“The President’s comments are shameful, racist, & un-American. Even more disquieting is the near complete lack of GOP voice & leadership on this behavior. Too many local, state, & National GOP leaders have embraced fear & self-preservation over dignity.” [16 July, 2019]
107. Paul Haney, Republican conservative Christian in Tennessee:
"The 45th president Donald J Trump has broken my faith in the Republican Party. He has broken my willingness to continue forward voting Republican and believing we had a set of core principles ... Every day he breaks my heart as an American in a new way. And it's to the point that he is actually scaring me, that our country will be able to continue in that the rule of law will hold." [18 June, 2020]
108. Maryanne Trump Barry, former federal judge, Donald Trump’s oldest sister:
“He has no principles. None. And his base, I mean my God, if you were a religious person, you want to help people. Not do this ... The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit! It's the phoniness of it all. It's the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel."
And from the archives:
109. Marc Racicot, former Montana Governor and Republican National Committee chairman:
“I cannot and will not support Mr. Trump for president of the United States. His policy proposals just simply don't match up with the platform of the Republican party or conservative principles.” [3 August, 2016]
To be continued ...
Readers’ tips in the comments are invited.