Why This Former Trump Staffer Spoke at the DNC

…and why I’m launching this new project to highlight the dangers of a second Trump term

The long road that brought me to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last night was a bumpy one. If you caught my speech or have heard my story before, then you know I am a Republican who worked in the Trump Administration.

So how did I end up here?

It wasn’t always this way. The road used to be pretty straight-forward—the epitome of the American Dream. I grew up in a working-class household in El Paso. We were conservative Texas Catholics. Dad was a truck driver. Mom is a Mexican immigrant who later became a U.S. citizen. They believed in the promise of America and raised me to believe in it too.

And I did. After earning my degree at the University of Pennsylvania, I began a career in public service that took me across the country, around the globe, and eventually to the White House, as a national security advisor to the Vice President of the United States. It was a dream come true for me and my family.

But that’s when the road took a turn. You see, while I still believe in the promise of America, it became crystal clear to me during my time in his administration that Donald Trump does not. So four years ago, I resigned from the Trump White House in one of the most difficult decisions of my life.

I have not regretted it once.

Nor have I forgotten. The Republican Party is symbolized by an elephant, renowned for its sharp recollection of the past. But lately, Republicans sure aren’t acting like these gentle giants. They’re pining for a second Trump presidency, while painting an idyllic picture of his first term that’s so far from reality, it’s laughable.

I haven’t memory-holed the Trump Administration, and I know you haven’t either—because we lived it. Now, we’re facing the very real possibility of reliving it if Trump returns to the White House in five months.

That’s why I’m launching this newsletter.

I had a front-row seat to the crazy, and what I witnessed firsthand inside the Trump White House was terrifying. But what keeps me up at night is what will happen if he gets back in office. The guardrails are gone. The few adults he allowed in the room the first time resigned or were fired. So it’s crucial for us to remind Americans of what we all lived through from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

Remember the early months of the coronavirus pandemic? It was a frightening time that required sound, consistent leadership. Instead, Trump refused to take the advice of his team and ultimately rejected a science-based approach to the crisis. His COVID-19 response became a masterclass in chaos, misinformation, and self-serving policy choices. As a result, the U.S. ended up with one of the highest infection rates among developed nations, and it was completely unnecessary. Yes, we remember the spectacular failure it was, and we don’t need an encore of that particularly painful performance.

Then there’s foreign affairs. Where do I even begin? Sharing secrets with the Russians, selling us out in Helsinki, attacking NATO, abandoning our Kurdish allies, “falling in love” with Kim Jong-un, cutting a deal with the Taliban, precipitating the worst attack by Iran on U.S. assets in over 40 years…it was a potpourri of mind-numbing decisions that would make any self-respecting Republican of the past half-century blanch. Yes, we remember the utter embarrassment—and danger—Trump was on the world stage.

And don’t get me started on the erosion of democratic norms and institutions. Trump’s persistent attacks on the free press, judiciary, government workers, and election processes and volunteers throughout his term undermined Americans’ faith in the foundations of our democracy, while his inflammatory rhetoric exacerbated existing social divides and emboldened extremist groups. It all culminated in the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. Yes, we remember that hideous denouement to his recklessly divisive presidency. 

I refuse to allow Republicans’ historical revisionism to go unrefuted. I lived it, you lived it, we lived it.

This project isn’t about blame or bitterness; it’s a matter of civic pride and, most importantly, learning from our history—even our most recent history. The Trump Administration starkly revealed how damaging a lack of competent governance can be, and why respect for our democratic principles and a commitment to unifying leadership are vital to our health and progress as a nation.

We held it together, just barely, for one four-year stint. We cannot afford another.

That’s why I’m supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in this election and was proud to speak on her behalf last night. Not because we agree on every issue—we don’t. But because we agree on the most important issue: protecting our democratic freedoms.

Vice President Harris and I agree on something else too: the health of our civic life always transcends party. Donald Trump has sown doubt and division, turning neighbor against neighbor. That’s not only un-American; it’s exactly what our adversaries want. It can lead our democracy to fail and our cherished freedoms to be lost.

We’re voting in less than three short months. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s one of the most important elections of our lifetimes. Let’s remind American voters why Trump lost the presidency in the first place.

Because this elephant never forgets. And she still believes in the promise of America. Please join me on the road to a better future for all of us.