Trump’s former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham delivers a speech the day after the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on August 20, 2024.
Fresh Mike | Reuters
Three Republicans took the stage on the second night of the Democratic National Convention to explain why they are breaking away from Donald Trump’s party and to urge fellow Republicans to support Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
“I saw him when the cameras were off. Trump was mocking his supporters behind closed doors. He called them ‘basement dwellers,'” said former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
“He had no empathy, no morals, and no loyalty to the truth. He would often tell me, ‘Stephanie, it doesn’t matter what you say. Say it enough and people will believe you,'” Grisham recalled.
She described herself as a “true believer” in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and one of the former president’s “closest advisers” while vacationing at Mar-a-Lago with her family.
Grisham was named chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump after nine months as Trump’s press secretary. She resigned from the position on January 6, 2021, in response to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
“Now that I’m here, behind a podium, advocating for the Democratic Party, it’s because I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris speaks the truth. She respects the American people, and she has my vote.”
“When I was press secretary, I was criticized for never holding a briefing at the White House. That was because, unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand at the podium and lie,” she said.
In response to Grisham’s speech, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung referred to a post on X by Trump senior adviser Jason Miller.
“Grisham’s speech was botched,” Miller wrote.
Grisham followed another former Trump supporter, Kyle Sweetser, on stage and played a compilation of filmed interviews with former Trump voters who now plan to vote for Harris.
Former Trump voter Kyle Swisher speaks on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
“I voted for Trump not once, not twice, but three times,” Swisher said.
Swisher said he works in construction and was attracted by Trump’s promise to “take care of blue-collar workers.”
“But then I started seeing Trump’s tariffs come into effect. The costs for construction workers like me started to skyrocket. I realized Trump wasn’t the guy for me. He was out to line his own pockets,” he said.
“Now I’m not left-wing, period. But I believe our leaders should bring out the best in us, not the worst. That’s why I voted for Kamala Harris,” Swisher said in Chicago express.
Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles also spoke Tuesday night. Giles, a self-described “lifelong Republican,” made headlines when he broke with his party in July. Support Harris.
“I have an urgent message for the majority of Americans who, like me, are in the political middle ground,” he said. “John McCain’s Republican Party is gone, and we have no responsibility to the party that’s left. So let’s Let’s turn the page and put our country first.”
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