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- Stephanie Grisham says a 2019 statement attacking General John Kelly is one of her “biggest regrets.”
- The statement called Kelly “totally incompetent to handle the genius of our great president.”
- Grisham told CNN that Trump dictated the statement for her “verbatim”.
Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said a 2019 statement attacking General John Kelly that former President Donald Trump instructed her to publish under her own name is one of her ” greatest regrets “.
In a Tuesday morning interview on CNN’s “New Day,” Grisham, who is coming out with a new memoir revealing her time in the White House, said she did not “selfishly” want to hold a media availability because she did not. I don’t want to be put in a position to lie. Grisham, who served as press secretary from July 2019 to April 2020, ultimately never informed the press.
She said she was not always honest in the appearances she made, but most regretted an October 2019 statement she released denigrating General John Kelly, Trump’s July chief of staff 2017 to January 2019.
“I worked with John Kelly, and he was absolutely not equipped to handle the genius of our great president,” his statement said.
Grisham released the Trump-led statement after Kelly told a political conference that he warned Trump that he would end up being impeached if he pledged a “yes” to succeed him as chief of staff. cabinet.
Grisham said Trump dictated the statement “verbatim” to him, noting: “I don’t speak that way.”
She added that she tried to keep Trump from releasing the statement by playing on his desire to be the center of attention and arguing that it would only elevate Kelly and give her more time. antenna.
“I remember I was sitting down, I was on my bed, it was the weekend, and I called some friends and I said, ‘Sounds crazy, right? “And they both said yes,” Grisham said. “But at the time, I felt like I was his spokesperson, he told me to do it, and I knew he was probably watching TV while waiting for him, and I took him out, and this is one of my biggest regrets, and I apologized to General and Mrs. Kelly in the book about it. ”
“So those weren’t your words?” CNN host John Berman asked.
“I don’t mean that way, no,” Grisham said.
“Not your belief?” Berman in a hurry.
“Not my belief,” Grisham said.
“So that’s a lie,” Berman said.
“So that’s a lie,” Grisham said.
—Alli Hedges Maser (@AllisonLHedges) October 5, 2021
In his book “I’ll Answer Your Questions Now,” Grisham details a toxic and dysfunctional environment in the West Wing and reveals unflattering new anecdotes about Trump and his entourage.
Trump spokespersons and former first lady Melania Trump denounced Grisham as a liar and disgruntled ex-employee seeking to capitalize on her White House experience and sought to discredit her book’s claims.
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