Trump Strategist Defects

Trumpelicious news! All of your suspicions about Donald Trump confirmed!

Stephanie Cegielski, the former communications director of the Make America Great Again SuperPAC, has posted something marvelous at An Open Letter to Trump Voters from His Top Strategist-Turned-Defector.

Some of the good bits:

Even Trump's most trusted advisors didn't expect him to fare this well.

Almost a year ago, recruited for my public relations and public policy expertise, I sat in Trump Tower being told that the goal was to get The Donald to poll in double digits and come in second in delegate count. That was it.

I fell in love with the idea of the protest candidate who was not bought by corporations. A man who sat in a Manhattan high-rise he had built, making waves as a straight talker with a business background, full of successes and failures, who wanted America to return to greatness.

I was sold.

But something surprising and absolutely unexpected happened. Every other candidate misestimated the anger and outrage of the “silent majority” of Americans who are not a part of the liberal elite. So with each statement came a jump in the polls. Just when I thought we were finished, The Donald gained more popularity.

What was once Trump's desire to rank second place to send a message to America and to increase his power as a businessman has nightmarishly morphed into a charade that is poised to do irreparable damage to this country if we do not stop this campaign in its tracks.

I'll say it again: Trump never intended to be the candidate. But his pride is too out of control to stop him now.

I came into this eager to support a savvy businessman who received little outside funding. I loved Trump's outsider status. But a year has now passed since I was first approached to become part of Team Trump.

While the pundits pontificated about what type of PR stunt Trump had up his billion-dollar sleeves, I met with people who convinced me he was serious about changing the political conversation. I wanted to raise millions for him. I wanted to contribute to millions of votes.

But something was shifting.

Without intending to do so, I began to hear and evaluate him more critically and skeptically as a member of the voting public rather than a communications person charged with protecting his positions.

I no longer felt that he was the leader the country was looking for, and I found myself longing — aching, really — for policy substance that went beyond building a wall and making Mexico pay for it. What were once bold — although controversial — statements now seemed to be attempts to please the crowds, not direction to lead this country to a better place. I began to realize his arrogance and isolation had taken over and were now controlling his message.

No matter how many times he repeats it, Trump would not be the "best" at being a president, being in shape, fighting terrorism, selling steaks, and whatever other "best" claim he has made in the last 15 minutes.

He would be the best at something, though. He is the best at looking out for Donald Trump — at all costs.

We do live in interesting times!

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I know, better-than-Hillary is way too low a bar. And he's gross. Interesting, though. He's to her left on some issues.

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mileser's picture

I didn't think he was serious about running at the beginning. But, he did well and so his ego has gotten in the way.

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-9.75, -8.21

Alison Wunderland's picture

Read this at Digby last night. The Monster got loose from the lab, and now the Villagers are panicking. What's more troubling is the international reaction to this election cycle. "Appalled" is an understatement.

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