U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks as he sits next to U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 17, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
White House columnist Brian Karem wrote in an article published in Salon Thursday that not even former President Donald Trump’s closest supporters think he is doing a satisfactory job as president.
“Many believe that Trump is one of his biggest fans, and while Trump fancies himself ‘cool,’ not even his closest supporters say that of him. The best I’ve heard regarding Trump is he says what he thinks,” he wrote.
The author quoted a former member of Congress from the Republican Party, whose name he did not disclose, as saying that Trump was as dangerous as “a monster.”
“I was literally sick to my stomach when he said ‘we’ may put homegrown Americans in El Salvadoran jails. Because that statement on top of his refusal to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia has me truly scared of what he and his toadies will do,” the lawmaker reportedly said.
The article further said, “Does it matter if he is a crazy person in the White House trying to convince you he is not, or is a sane person trying to convince you he is crazy? What matters are the results. Look around. Donald Trump has thumbed his nose at the judiciary, owns Congress, rules by Executive Order, employs DOGE and Elon Musk as hatchet men to destroy the government while ignoring due process and openly, bald-faced lying about what he is doing. Bill Maher said he wouldn’t back off from future criticism of the president, but to those in Trump’s inner circle, it doesn’t matter.”
Some other Republicans have expressed similar remarks. Earlier this week, veteran GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) delivered candid responses to leaders of nonprofit groups in her state, expressing concern over the cuts to federal agencies, programs, and the federal workforce.
“It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right. But that’s what you’ve asked me to do. And so, I’m going to use my voice to the best of my ability,” she said.
