“As Long as We Have Literal Snakes Elected by People, This Is Not Going to Change”: Former Republican Strategist Demands GOP Critics Do More About Donald Trump

Michelle HollandNov 26, 2023

Minute Read

Tim Miller, an ex-Republican strategist and Bullwark writer, is requesting that former Trump loyalists who have since turned on the former president do more to curb his influence in the party.

Miller Speaks Out

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Miller declared that “these people who were around Trump and saw the threat and can speak to the threat — they can move the needle, but they do need to work together and they do need to be part of a campaign to stop him. And it’s not going to be easy. “

Trump’s Persisting Significance

Despite losing the 2020 presidential election, attempting to overturn the results, and subsequently facing criminal charges and lawsuits, Trump remains the frontrunner to cinch the GOP nomination for the 2024 presidential election, currently leading his competitors by a wide margin.

Loyal Supporters

The former president has many loyal supporters in both the general public and Congress, particularly the House of Representatives Freedom Caucus, many of whom have perpetuated his election denial conspiracy theory. Over half of the House have endorsed his bid for reelection.

John Kelly’s Critique

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On the other hand, several high-profile Republicans have denounced Trump — but often only after resigning from their roles. John Kelly, who was Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, recently asked in an interview: “What’s going on in the country that a single person thinks this guy would still be a good president when he’s said the things he’s said and done the thing’s he’s done?”

A Baffling Reality

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Kelly added, “It’s beyond my comprehension that he has.” Kelly previously confirmed that Trump once called veterans “suckers” and “losers”, insults that caused outrage when they were first reported but received very little coverage and response when Kelly affirmed the accusations were true.

Making No Impact

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On this surprising outcome, Kelly said: “I came out and told people the awful things he said about wounded soldiers, and it didn’t have half a day’s bounce. You had his Attorney General Bill Barr come out, and not half a day’s bounce. If anything, his numbers go up.”

Moving the Needle

He continued, “It might even move the needle in the wrong direction. I think we’re in a dangerous zone in our country.” Miller went on to reprimand people like Kelly for not putting in enough effort to get their stories about Trump out there in order to cause as much damage to his campaign as possible.

A Lackluster Response

Miller explained, “If you complain, ‘I only have half a day’s bounce,’ that’s because you only did one interview. We have a very real threat in front of us with Donald Trump… and so the response needs to be up to the degree of the threat.”

The Risk Trump Poses

Many experts, along with high-profile Democrats, have suggested that Trump’s reelection would present a serious threat to democracy in the United States and needs to be prevented. Miller stated, “I think that there could be a very compelling, very convincing, very effective campaign to stop [Trump] from the people who were in his cabinet last time.”

“Do Some Work”

He concluded, “But they’re going to have to roll up their sleeves and do some work and not just sit on one panel at Aspen and think that’s going to do the job.” Though other high-ranking White House officials have denounced Trump, many have done so anonymously, thus diluting the impact of their revelations.

The Internet Reacts

People online also called on Kerry to do more to try and ensure Trump’s reputation and popularity take a hit. After Kelly’s initial revelations about Trump, which included scathingly describing him as “a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators” and “a person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions,” one forum user replied: “He has more to say, guaranteed.”

Too Little, Too Late

Another person wondered, “What took him so long to stay this stuff?” Another agreed, “Exactly. Picking on Trump for what he said during the 2016 campaign. Remind me again when Kelly worked for him?” People recalled how Kelly’s tenure in the White House was from 2017 to 2019, thus proving that he knew of Trump’s problematic character before he joined his staff.

Cowardly Republicans

One commenter wrote: “He’s a coward like all the others,” whereas someone else said: “It’s really embarrassing that he didn’t stand up for the values he supposedly represented during his 40 years in the military. Maybe too many years at the top led him to forget who he was.”

A GOP Pattern

Another poster proclaimed, “As long as we have literal snakes elected by people, this is not going to change. There are so many Republicans who supported Trump wholeheartedly and defended him at one time and said he is a disgrace later, only to come back and support him again,” naming Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell as examples.

Lack of Principles

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Others felt certain that despite Kelly’s complaints about Trump, he would still vote for him if it came down to Trump vs Biden once again, and that few Republicans would be willing to vote against a GOP administration despite their alleged principles and supposed concerns about Trump.

MAGA Is a Cult

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Others were bewildered that Trump’s support has endured such controversy. “I’ll think about it forever but I still can’t wrap my head around how literally a single person supports this guy without it being a cult,” one contributor expressed, whereas another responded: “Don’t think too hard. It’s just a cult,” adding that they are “not following ideas but simply a man.”

Personal Gain

The overall consensus was that Kelly only spoke out now that he had nothing to personally gain from Trump’s reelection. One forum member observed: “I’m glad he is being honest now, but Kelly betrayed America to serve under Trump because it personally benefited him.” Someone else agreed, “And now it’s benefitting him to go against Trump.”