Voices Lost in Chaos

I often wonder if those who believe Trump is the right person to be handed the seat of power in one of the most powerful countries in the world believe that ever person who has ever known him or worked for him, is wrong about the man.

High Ranking Military Leaders and Trump

While some will be mentioned again in the list of Trump cabinet members who resigned, seen together with others shows a very clear consensus among high ranking military leaders who were closest to trump that he is unfit to have the power of Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces. Many in his own cabinet. We also need to understand that traditionally high ranking military officers are non-partisan. Trump found, and chose for his cabinet and administration, ones who were outspoken as Republican.

Another important element of this list, is that it is very uncommon for active or retired military leadership to be outspoken against a Commander In Chief. It is historically tradition for military leadership to be non-partisan out of respect for the chain of command in the US Government being bipartisan, and try not to undermine the civilian control and oversight of Congress and the President.

Trump chose many of the generals based on their criticism of Obama however.

General John F. Kelly

• Rank: Retired Marine Corps General, former White House Chief of Staff for Trump
• On Trump: Kelly has been openly critical of Trump. He has stated that Trump “has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.” Kelly also confirmed reports of Trump disparaging military personnel and praising dictators.

General H.R. McMaster

• Rank: Former retired Lieutenant General in the United States Army and National Security Advisor to Trump
• On Trump: Said trump was “Susceptible to flattery” and has a “Remarkable ability to entertain positive views of authoritarian leaders”. “Compromised US principals for personal gain”. Stated his administration was “At war with ourselves” and had a lack of coherent strategy.

General James Mattis

• Rank: Retired Four Star General and Former Secretary of Defense under Trump
• On Trump: Mattis criticized Trump’s leadership, stating that he was “the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.” He further expressed that Trump used the presidency to “destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens.”

General Mark Milley

• Rank: Retired Four Star General for US Army, and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Trump
• On Trump: Milley has voiced concerns about Trump’s leadership. He referred to Trump as “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person ever.”

General Colin Powell

• Rank: Retired Four-Star General and National Security Advisor under Ronald Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, and Former Secretary of State under George W. Bush
• On Trump: Powell criticized Trump’s actions during the George Floyd protests, stating that Trump had “drifted away” from the Constitution and expressing pride in fellow military leaders who spoke out against Trump’s proposals to deploy the military against protesters.

Admiral Mike Mullen

• Rank: Retired Navy Admiral and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barak Obama.
• On Trump: Mullen criticized Trump’s response to the protests, stating that Trump “risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces” and urged Americans not to forget “the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.”

Admiral William McRaven

• Rank: Retired Navy Admiral and former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and former Navy SEAL.
• On Trump: McRaven wrote publicly in a letter directly to Trump stating “Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.” He also condemned Trump’s actions during the protests, stating, “There is nothing morally right about that.” Co-Authored an Op-Ed “Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President,” where he stated “If this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office.” He also Criticized Trump pardoning service members convicted of war crimes stating the importance of maintaining our humanity and ethical standards within the military. Compared Trump to a “disturbed teenager” and stated he “consistently violates every principal of good leadership”.

General Martin Dempsey

• Rank: Retired four-star general and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• On Trump: Dempsey wrote, “America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy,” in response to Trump’s consideration of deploying active-duty troops to quell protests.

General Wesley Clark

• Rank: Retired Army general and former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO
• On Trump: Clark described Trump’s actions during the protests as “really shocking and outrageous,” stating, “There was no reason for it.”

General Barry McCaffrey

• Rank: Retired four-star Army general and former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
• On Trump: In March 2018, McCaffrey stated that Trump was a “serious threat to U.S. national security” and suggested that the president was “under the sway” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

General John Allen

• Rank: Retired four-star Marine Corps general and former U.S. envoy.
• On Trump: In June 2020, Allen wrote that the U.S. under Trump “may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment.” He criticized Trump’s response to protests as violations of the first amendment, and harshly criticized the order to clear demonstrators from Lafayette Square.

General James Stavridis

• Rank: Retired four-star Navy admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
• On Trump: Stavridis expressed support for statements made by other military leaders condemning Trump’s actions, emphasizing the importance of military leaders speaking out against threats to democracy.

General Stanley McChrystal

• Rank: Retired four-star Army general and former commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
• On Trump: In a 2020 interview, McChrystal described Trump as “immoral” and criticized his divisive approach to leadership. He endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, emphasizing the need for a leader with humility and a willingness to listen.

General Michael Hayden

• Rank: Retired four-star Air Force general and former Director of the CIA and NSA.
• On Trump: Hayden has been an outspoken critic of Trump, expressing concerns about his attacks on intelligence agencies and his handling of national security matters. He endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election, stating that Trump “doesn’t care about facts.”

General Joseph Votel

• Rank: Retired four-star Army general and former commander of U.S. Central Command.
• On Trump: Votel criticized Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria in 2019, stating that it “abandoned” Kurdish allies and could lead to a resurgence of ISIS. He emphasized the importance of honoring commitments to partners.

General David Petraeus

• Rank: Retired fours-star Army general and former Commander of U.S. Central Command
• On Trump: Outspoken about Trump’s dangerous rhetoric regarding NATO, stating in 2024 that it could undermine our alliances. Criticized Trump’s timeline and decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, accurately prediction that it would be “disastrous” and cause the rapid collapse of Afghan security forces while handing the country back to the Taliban.

Trump’s Unprecedented Cabinet Resignations

Trump’s cabinet had the largest turnover of any president in US history (including 2 term presidents). Trump’s cabinet was stacked with far right republicans, but still had an unprecedented number of resignations with the vast majority . In trump’s 4 year term he had more resignations than the previous 35 years, the previous 5 president’s combined. There were 20 resignations during Trump’s term. Prior to Trump the highest number of cabinet members to resign in a single term was 8 under President Nixon, and the majority of those resigned due to the Watergate scandal that Nixon. Nixon became the only president ever to resign, when it was clear he would have become the first and only US President to ever be impeached, convicted, and removed.

It is almost a universal truth that people who work for Trump eventually have a loud and public falling out with him, particularly those who serve in his cabinet. Most pay for it with their career.  Far too many end up at the wrong end of legal troubles needing to atone for their role in the chaos that is working for Donald Trump (and often take the fall for the man himself, who seems to somehow be the only person truly above the law).

Most of the people I will discuss in this blog genuinely appeared to want to serve the United States and our Constitution as true Conservatives.  People who fought for their country, for our security, for our relationships with foreign powers, and people who worked for an America they once believed in.

Most of these are people liberals didn’t want to hold the positions they did due to how partisan they were.

From their words and descriptions it is easy to discern that working with, or for Trump means working with an ignorant, narcissistic, man-baby, who has no concept of how to run his own thoughts, much less a nation, and no concept of or appreciation of the laws of this nation or our Constitution. The sheer volume of those who resigned should shock anyone. His cabinet turnover rate was higher than the 5 previous president’s combined. That is a more turnover in 4 years than in 36 years prior.

Secretary of State:

• Rex Tillerson (February 2017 – March 2018)
• Mike Pompeo (April 2018 – January 2021)

Secretary of the Treasury:

• Steven Mnuchin (February 2017 – January 2021)

Secretary of Defense:

• James Mattis (January 2017 – December 2018)
• Patrick Shanahan (Acting, January 2019 – June 2019)
• Mark Esper (July 2019 – November 2020)
• Christopher C. Miller (Acting, November 2020 – January 2021)

Attorney General:

• Jeff Sessions (February 2017 – November 2018)
• Matthew Whitaker (Acting, November 2018 – February 2019)
• William Barr (February 2019 – December 2020)
• Jeffrey Rosen (Acting, December 2020 – January 2021)

Secretary of the Interior:

• Ryan Zinke (March 2017 – January 2019)
• David Bernhardt (January 2019 – January 2021)

Secretary of Agriculture:

• Sonny Perdue (April 2017 – January 2021)

Secretary of Commerce:

• Wilbur Ross (February 2017 – January 2021)

Secretary of Labor:

• Alexander Acosta (April 2017 – July 2019)
• Patrick Pizzella (Acting, July 2019 – September 2019)
• Eugene Scalia (September 2019 – January 2021)

Secretary of Health and Human Services:

• Tom Price (February 2017 – September 2017)
• Don J. Wright (Acting, September 2017 – October 2017)
• Alex Azar (January 2018 – January 2021)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:

• Ben Carson (March 2017 – January 2021)

Secretary of Transportation:

• Elaine Chao (January 2017 – January 2021)
  • Resigned due to Jan 6

Secretary of Energy:

• Rick Perry (March 2017 – December 2019)
• Dan Brouillette (December 2019 – January 2021)

Secretary of Education:

• Betsy DeVos (February 2017 – January 2021)
  • Resigned due to Jan 6th

Secretary of Veterans Affairs:

• David Shulkin (February 2017 – March 2018)
• Robert Wilkie (July 2018 – January 2021)

Secretary of Homeland Security:

• John Kelly (January 2017 – July 2017)
• Elaine Duke (Acting, July 2017 – December 2017)
• Kirstjen Nielsen (December 2017 – April 2019)
• Kevin McAleenan (Acting, April 2019 – November 2019)
• Chad Wolf (Acting, November 2019 – January 2021)
  • Resigned after Jan 6th

Possibly the most concerning, is the highest turnover in cabinet seats were those related to our military and national security – 5 Secretaries of Homeland Security, all of whom resigned. 4 Secretaries of Defense – 3 of whom resigned and have all stated publicly that Trump is not fit for the role of Commander in Chief.

As we see him now pack his cabinet with the truly powerful men (the billionaires who actually make decisions), it is potentially fascinating given Trump’s nearly perfect record of attempting to destroy the lives of everyone who has been around him – what will happen when he turns on the likes of men who own true empires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Men who have complete control what the people believe and think through manipulating social media. Men who some would say “Can simply decide what is real, and people will believe it”.

What will happen when the men who own the media platforms that both created and currently sustain Trump, no longer have his back?  What happens when the very men that allow his madness to funnel its way down to infecting voters in an exhausting and endless barrage of rage bait and fear mongering turn on him? What happens when the platforms which drove Trump’s rise to power yank the bots and troll farms (40% of “Open up America” posts during COVID, 30% of anti-vaccine posts during COVID, Russian trolls responsible for “36 times more conservative tweets than liberal tweets” during the 2016 presidential campaigns – an absolutely staggering amount). What happens when the owners of those platforms no longer wish for him to have that power?

Let’s look at all those who rode the wave of madness that was Trump and wound up forgotten, or famous for their downfalls.

Let’s also consider the ones from his inner circle in vital roles, who should be way more famous for the things they have publicly said about Trump.

Trump Administration Resignations

James Mattis – Secretary of Defense

• Tenure: January 2017 – December 2018
• Left: Resigned over Syria troop withdrawal disagreements
• Mattis on Trump: “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people.” in 2024 stated Trump is “Fascist to the core” and stated he is “The most dangerous person ever”
• Trump on Mattis: “The world’s most overrated general.”

Jeff Sessions – Attorney General

• Tenure: February 2017 – November 2018
• Left: Resigned due to the Russia investigation recusal
• Sessions on Trump: “No one will be above the law.”
• Trump on Sessions: “I don’t have an attorney general. It’s very sad.”

Rex Tillerson – Secretary of State

• Tenure: February 2017 – March 2018
• Left: Dismissed via Twitter
• Tillerson on Trump: “I think he grew tired of me being the guy every day that told him he can’t do that.”  Said almost every day what Trump wanted  “wasn’t feasible because it violated the law”.
• Trump on Tillerson: “He was dumb as a rock and I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough.”

John Kelly – Secretary of Homeland Security / Chief of Staff

• Tenure: DHS: January 2017 – July 2017; Chief of Staff: July 2017 – January 2019
• Left: Resigned following policy clashes
• Kelly on Trump: “We need to look harder at who we elect.” “Trump has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”, “Trump would govern like a dictator if allowed and had no understanding of the Constitution or the concept of rule of law”
• Trump on Kelly: “He was in over his head.”

Elaine Chao – Secretary of Transportation

• Tenure: January 2017 – January 2021
• Left: Resigned after January 6 Capitol riot
• Chao on Trump: “The events… have deeply troubled me in a way I simply cannot set aside.”
• Trump on Chao: No public criticism, but reportedly frustrated by her resignation

Betsy DeVos – Secretary of Education

• Tenure: February 2017 – January 2021
• Left: Resigned after January 6 Capitol riot
• DeVos on Trump: “There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation.”
• Trump on DeVos: No public criticism, but privately frustrated by her resignation

Steven Mnuchin – Secretary of the Treasury

• Tenure: February 2017 – January 2021
• Left: Completed term; Was one of the cabinet officials calling for discussing the 25th Amendment after January 6
• Mnuchin on Trump: Did not publicly criticize him
• Trump on Mnuchin: “A great Treasury Secretary.”

Rick Perry – Secretary of Energy

• Tenure: March 2017 – December 2019
• Left: Resigned amid Ukraine controversy scrutiny that lead to Trump’s first impeachment.

John Bolton – National Security Advisor

• Tenure: April 2018 – September 2019
• Left: Resigned over policy disagreements
• Bolton on Trump: “Unfit for office.”
• Trump on Bolton: “I fired him. He’s a liar and a disgrace.”

Dan Coats – Director of National Intelligence

• Tenure: March 2017 – August 2019
• Left: Resigned after intelligence assessment disagreements
• Coats on Trump: “The warning lights are blinking red.”
• Trump on Coats: Reportedly frustrated with Coats’ views

H.R. McMaster – National Security Advisor

• Tenure: February 20, 2017 – April 9, 2018
• Left: Resigned amid policy disagreements
• McMaster on Trump: Criticized Trump’s “impulsive” foreign policy
• Trump on McMaster: Did an “outstanding job”

Alexander Vindman – Director for European Affairs, NSC

• Tenure: 2018 – February 7, 2020
• Left: Dismissed after impeachment testimony
• Vindman on Trump: Called Ukrainian call “improper”
• Trump on Vindman: “Insubordinate”

Gordon Sondland – EU Ambassador

• Tenure: July 2018 – February 2020
• Left: Dismissed after impeachment testimony
• Sondland on Trump: Testified there was a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine
• Trump on Sondland: “I hardly know the gentleman.”

Steve Linick – State Department Inspector General

• Tenure: September 2013 – May 2020
• Left: Dismissed during Pompeo investigation
• Linick on Trump: Called firing “retaliatory”
• Trump on Linick: “Lost confidence”

Michael Atkinson – Intelligence Community Inspector General

• Tenure: May 2018 – April 2020
• Left: Dismissed after handling whistleblower complaint in accordance with the law
• Atkinson on Trump: Said dismissal was for properly handling complaint
• Trump on Atkinson: “Lost confidence”

John Rood – Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

• Tenure: January 2018 – February 2020
• Left: Rood reported to congress that Trump should not be withholding funds from Ukraine his statements lead to Trump’s first impeachment.
• Rood on Trump: “He requested my resignation”

Omarosa Manigault Newman – Communications Director for Public Liaison

• Tenure: January 2017 – January 2018
• Left: Fired after staff conflicts
• Omarosa on Trump: Called him “a racist, a bigot, and a misogynist”
• Trump on Omarosa: Called her a “low life” and “nasty to people”

Reince Priebus – White House Chief of Staff

• Tenure: January 2017 – July 2017
• Left: Resigned because he couldn’t manage Trump’s “impulsive decisions and tweets” and because he strongly objected to the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci
• Priebus on Trump: Avoided public criticism
• Trump on Priebus: “Weak and Ineffective”

Mick Mulvaney – Acting Chief of Staff/OMB Director

• Tenure: January 2019 – March 2020
• Left: Replaced after Ukraine impeachment issues as well as the capital riots
• Mulvaney on Trump: Said “We do that all the time” regarding withholding funds to get “quid pro quo” from Ukraine in Trump’s first impeachment.  Called Trump’s election fraud claims “Manifestly false”, said trump had become unhinged and was “Not the same as he was”, and blamed Trump for the poor handling of the COVID response.
• Trump on Mulvaney: Used “acting” title to underscore temporary status

Anthony Scaramucci – Communications Director

• Tenure: July 21-31, 2017 (10 days)
• Left: Fired after a very fast falling out with Trump
• Scaramucci on Trump: Called him “unfit for office” and a “narcissist”
• Trump on Scaramucci: “A highly unstable ‘nut job'”

Sean Spicer – Press Secretary

• Tenure: January 2017 – July 2017
• Left: Resigned over Scaramucci hiring
• Spicer on Trump: In his book called Trump “problematic”, voiced regrets over defending Trump’s demonstrably false Inauguration crowd size claims and criticized Trump’s communication strategy such as “Tweeting major policy changes without informing staff”, “Making statements that contradict official White House policy”, “Changing positions on a whim without warning communications team”.
• Trump on Spicer: “frustrated with his missteps”

Tom Bossert – Homeland Security Advisor

• Tenure: January 2017 – April 2018
• Left: Pushed out by John Bolton for expressing cybersecurity concerns about the evidence of Russian election interference, criticized
• Bossert on Trump: He was “ignoring cybersecurity vulnerabilities”, “is resistant to strengthening election security infrastructure”, “refuses to believe the insurmountable evidence of Russian election interference”, “failed to address threats from foreign enemies”, criticized Trump for dismantling the White House cybersecurity coordinator position.

Katie Walsh – Deputy Chief of Staff

• Tenure: January 2017 – March 2017
• Left: Resigned after staff conflicts
• Walsh on Trump: Called administration “chaotic” and later told investigators that the White House has a total lack of clear decision-making process.
• Trump on Walsh: No public comment

Don McGahn – White House Counsel

• Tenure: January 2017 – October 2018
• Left: Resigned after Mueller cooperation – refused to fire Mueller, detailed Trump’s attempts at obstruction of justice, provided the evidence of Trump’s attempts to influence the investigation.
• McGahn on Trump: Said Trump’s illegal directives made him uncomfortable
• Trump on McGahn: Called him a “lying bastard”

Rod Rosenstein – Deputy Attorney General

• Tenure: April 2017 – May 2019
• Left: Resigned after Mueller appointment after he suggested invoking the 25^th amendment.
• Rosenstein on Trump: Expressed serious concerns over Russia and said he was used as a patsy to James Comey, later was part of the Mueller’s special council
• Trump on Trump: “Very disappointed in him”

Sally Yates – Acting Attorney General

• Tenure: January 20-30, 2017
• Left: Fired for refusing to defend travel ban
• Yates on Trump: Said he “endangered national security”
• Trump on Yates: “Democrat who only served for a few days”

Andrew McCabe – FBI Deputy Director

• Tenure: February 2016 – January 2018
• Left: Fired before retirement
• McCabe on Trump: Said he was targeted over Russia investigation
• Trump on McCabe: Called firing “a great day for FBI”

James Comey – FBI Director

• Tenure: September 2013 – May 2017
• Left: Fired during Russia investigation
• Comey on Trump: “Morally unfit to be president”
• Trump on Comey: Called him a “show boater” and “corrupt”

Alexander Acosta – Labor Secretary

• Tenure: April 2017 – July 2019
• Left: Resigned over Epstein plea deal criticism
• Acosta on Trump: Avoided criticism
• Trump on Acosta: “I hate to see this happen”

Steve Bannon – Chief Strategist

• Tenure: January – August 2017
• Left: Fired after staff conflicts
• Bannon on Trump: Called January 6 actions “reckless”
• Trump on Bannon: Called him “Sloppy Steve”

Bill Barr – Attorney General

• Tenure: February 2019 – December 2020
• Left: Resigned over election fraud claims
• Barr on Trump: Called Trump’s fraud claims “bullshit”, called Trump’s behavior during Capitol riot as “betrayal of office”, said Trump made it “Impossible to do the job”, Criticized Trump for “Trying to use the DOJ for personal matters”, called him “dangerous and irresponsible”, “off the rails”, “bad judgment” and “self-indulgent”
• Trump on Barr: Called him “weak”

Christopher Krebs – CISA Director

• Tenure: November 2018 – November 2020
• Left: Fired for declaring election secure
• Krebs on Trump: Called fraud claims “dangerous”
• Trump on Krebs: Called his statements “highly inaccurate”

Peter Strzok – FBI Counterintelligence

• Tenure: 1996 – August 2018
• Left: Fired over critical texts
• Strzok on Trump: Said he was “compromised by Russia”
• Trump on Strzok: Called him a “sick loser”

Marie Yovanovitch – Ukraine Ambassador

• Tenure: August 2016 – May 2019
• Left: Recalled after Ukraine controversy
• Yovanovitch on Trump: Said his associates ran “smear campaign”
• Trump on Yovanovitch: “Everywhere she went turned bad”

Miles Taylor – DHS Chief of Staff

• Tenure: February – September 2019
• Left: Resigned over policy disagreements
• Taylor on Trump: Revealed as “Anonymous” NYT op-ed author who wrote about the “resistance” within the administration working to “thward Trump’s worst impulses” called him “amoral with no guiding principals”, stated the cabinet was strongly considering invoking the 25^th amendment, has “Anti-democratic tendencies and makes erratic and ill-informed decisions” and claimed said Trump’s leadership style was “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective”
• Trump on Taylor: Called him a “low-level staffer” and “nobody”

Olivia Troye – VP’s Homeland Security Advisor

• Tenure: March 2018 – August 2020
• Left: Resigned over COVID response
• Troye on Trump: “Response was detrimental to our country”
• Trump on Troye: “Disgruntled employee who was terminated”

Stephanie Grisham – Press Secretary/Communications Director

• Tenure: July 2019 – April 2020; February 2020 – January 2021
• Left: Resigned after January 6
• Grisham on Trump: Wrote critical book “I’ll Take Your Questions Now”
• Trump on Grisham: “Very angry and bitter”

Brad Parscale – Campaign Manager

• Tenure: February 2018 – July 2020
• Left: Demoted then left campaign
• Parscale on Trump: Criticized post-election behavior and trump’s “Dangerous and false claims of election fraud”.
• Trump on Parscale: Distanced after personal issues

Chris Christie – Transition Team Leader

• Tenure: May – November 2016
• Left: Removed from transition
• Christie on Trump: Criticized election fraud claims
• Trump on Christie: “Failed governor”

William Cohen – Defense Advisory Board

• Tenure: 2017 – 2020
• Left: Resigned in protest
• Cohen on Trump: Criticized military leadership style
• Trump on Cohen: Dismissed criticism as irrelevant

Richard Spencer – Secretary of the Navy

• Tenure: August 2017 – November 2019
• Left: Fired over Navy SEAL case intervention
• Spencer on Trump: “The president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically” / “Violated his Constitutional oath” / “Subverted military justice system”
• Trump on Spencer: “Services were not what was needed”

Elizabeth Neumann – DHS Assistant Secretary

• Tenure: 2017 – April 2020
• Left: Resigned over COVID response
• Neumann on Trump: “What we saw throughout his time in office was a president who expressed things in ways that made the situation worse” / “Actively doing damage to our security” / COVID response was “close to malfeasance”
• Trump on Neumann: No direct public response

Eric Fanning – Army Secretary

• Tenure: Through 2017
• Left: Resigned in solidarity with Mattis
• Fanning on Trump: “Undermined military chain of command” / transgender ban “based on bias, not facts”
• Trump on Fanning: No public response

James Miller – Defense Science Board

• Tenure: Through June 2020
• Left: Resigned after Lafayette Square incident
• Miller on Trump: “Violated Constitutional rights” / Used military as “props for partisan political purposes”
• Trump on Miller: No public response

Guy Roberts – Assistant Secretary of Defense

• Tenure: Through 2019
• Left: Resigned in protest
• Roberts on Trump: Showed “dangerous disregard for expertise” / Actions “undermined national security relationships” / Foreign policy decisions “reckless and uninformed”
• Trump on Roberts: No public response

Mark Esper – Secretary of Defense

• Tenure: July 2019 – November 2020
• Left: Fired after opposing use of military against protesters
• Esper on Trump: “Put the country and the Constitution at risk” / Said Trump “wanted to shoot protesters in the legs”, publicly stated Trump is “Unfit for Office”
• Trump on Esper: Called him “Mark ‘Yesper'” then “You’re fired”

Deborah Birx – White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator

• Tenure: February 2020 – January 2021
• Left: Resigned after COVID response criticism
• Birx on Trump: Administration’s response cost “hundreds of thousands of lives” / Was “distracted by election”
• Trump on Birx: Called her “pathetic” after she criticized response

Cybersecurity Officials: All of Chris Krebs’ Deputies resigned in protest:

• All stated Trump’s “False election fraud claims threatened national security” in a joint resignation letter

Joseph Maguire – Acting Director of National Intelligence

• Tenure: August 2019 – February 2020
• Left: Fired after briefing Congress about Russian election interference
• Maguire on Trump: Said he “prioritized politics over national security”
• Trump on Maguire: Claimed he was “in over his head”

Robert Blair – Mick Mulvaney’s Deputy

• Tenure: Through 2020
• Left: Resigned with multiple officials after January 6
• Blair on Trump: Called him “dangerous to democracy itself”
• Trump on Blair: No public response

Departures due to Corruption and Criminal Activity

Tom Price – Secretary of Health and Human Services

• Tenure: February 2017 – September 2017
• Resigned over his own Corruption:
  • Used private charter flights at least 26 times
    • Cost taxpayers over $400,000 for personal private flights
  • Additional $500,000+ spent on military flights to Europe, Asia and Africa for business meetings scheduled around leisure.
  • Most of these trips had commercial flight options available at much lower costs
  • Some flights mixed official business with personal matters, including lunch with his son
• Trump on Price: “I’m not happy about his resignation. I can tell you that.”

Hope Hicks – Communications Director

• Tenure: August 2017 – March 2018; Returned 2020
• Left: Resigned after admitting to lying under oath to protect trump during the Russia investigation, drafting false statements about Don Jr.’s meeting with Russia, and “due to discomfort” from other escalating White House scandals.
• Trump on Hicks: “Outstanding” and “truly great person”

Scott Pruitt – EPA Administrator

• Tenure: February 2017 – July 2018
• Resigned over his own Corruption:
  • First-class and private flights costing over $105,000
    • In 5 months
  • Had staff help his wife get a Chick-fil-A franchise
  • Met with industries he regulated, removed from calendar records
  • Had staff find his wife a $200,000+ job
  • Rented a Capitol Hill condo for $50/night from an energy lobbyist’s wife
• Trump on Pruitt: “Scott has done an outstanding job.”

Ryan Zinke – Secretary of the Interior

• Tenure: March 2017 – January 2019
• Left: Resigned over his own Corruption:
  • Spent $39,000 on private helicopter flights
    • Not work related
  • Vacation travel with wife on government funds
  • Land deal with Halliburton chairman in Montana
  • Federal investigation into lying to ethics officials
• Trump on Zinke: “Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure.”

Wilbur Ross – Secretary of Commerce

• Tenure: February 2017 – January 2021
• Left: Left government for ethics violations
  • Failed to divest holdings as promised
  • Shorted stock in Navigator Holdings
  • Underreported net worth
  • Inaccurate financial disclosures
• Trump on Ross: “Past his prime”

Michael Flynn – National Security Advisor

• Tenure: January 20, 2017 – February 13, 2017
• Left: Resigned and pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI and the Vice President regarding his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, later stating that they made to promises prior to the election to lift sanctions on Russian if Trump became president.   Pardoned by Trump.
• Trump on Flynn: “I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI.”

Went To Prison Working for Trump

Paul Manafort

• Role: Former Trump Campaign Chairman
• Charges: Tax evasion, bank fraud, and conspiracy
• Sentence: Over 7 years in prison
• Details: Manafort was convicted in 2018 for financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine prior to joining the Trump campaign.

Michael Cohen

• Role: Former Personal Attorney to Trump
• Charges: Tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations
• Sentence: 3 years in prison
• Details: Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges including making hush money payments during the 2016 campaign.

Roger Stone

• Role: Longtime Political Advisor
• Charges: Obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and making false statements
• Sentence: 40 months in prison
• Details: Stone was convicted in 2019 for lying to Congress about his contacts regarding WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign.

Rick Gates

• Role: Former Deputy Campaign Chairman
• Charges: Conspiracy and lying to investigators
• Sentence: 45 days in jail
• Details: Gates cooperated with investigators and was sentenced in 2019 for crimes related to his work with Manafort.

George Papadopoulos

• Role: Former Foreign Policy Advisor
• Charges: Making false statements to the FBI
• Sentence: 14 days in prison
• Details: Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying about his contacts with individuals tied to Russia.

Allen Weisselberg

• Role: Former Trump Organization CFO
• Charges: Tax fraud and perjury
• Sentence: 5 months in prison
• Details: Weisselberg pleaded guilty in 2022 to tax evasion and in 2024 to perjury related to his testimony in a civil fraud trial.

Peter Navarro

• Role: Former White House Trade Advisor
• Charges: Contempt of Congress
• Sentence: 4 months in prison
• Details: Navarro was convicted in 2023 for defying a subpoena from the January 6th committee.

Steve Bannon

• Role: Former White House Chief Strategist
• Charges: Contempt of Congress
• Sentence: 4 months in prison
• Details: Bannon was convicted in 2024 for defying a subpoena related to the January 6th investigation.

Trump’s Lawyers (Many Aren’t Lawyers Now)

Michael Cohen

• Role: Trump’s former personal attorney and “fixer.”
• Outcome:
  • Pleaded guilty in 2018 to tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign.
  • Sentenced to 3 years in prison and disbarred.
  • Later became a vocal critic of Trump and wrote a memoir, Disloyal.

Rudy Giuliani

• Role: Trump’s personal lawyer during and after the 2020 election.
• Outcome:
  • Played a key role in advancing false claims of election fraud in 2020.
  • Had his law license suspended in New York and Washington, D.C. for making false and misleading statements in court.
  • Defendant in defamation lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic for billions of dollars.
    • FOX News already settled for $787 Million due to their admittedly false claims based on Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell’s statements.
  • Reportedly in significant financial trouble due to legal fees and lawsuits.
  • Testified in Georgia’s election interference case and was indicted along with Trump and others for racketeering.

Sidney Powell

• Role: Attorney who pushed election conspiracy theories, including the “Kraken” lawsuits.
• Outcome:
  • Indicted in Georgia’s RICO case for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
  • Disbarment proceedings initiated in Texas.
  • Agreed to a plea deal in Georgia to avoid jail time, including probation and cooperation with prosecutors.
  • Defendant in defamation lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic.
    • FOX News already settled for $787 Million due to their admittedly false claims based on Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell’s statements.

John Eastman

• Role: Architect of the legal strategy to block the certification of the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.
• Outcome:
  • Facing disbarment proceedings in California for his role in promoting election fraud claims.
  • Indicted in Georgia as part of the RICO case.
  • Potential liability for pushing unconstitutional theories, including the infamous “fake electors” scheme.

Kenneth Chesebro

• Role: Lawyer involved in crafting the “fake electors” strategy.
• Outcome:
  • Indicted in Georgia as part of the RICO case.
  • Accepted a plea deal in October 2023, agreeing to testify against co-defendants in exchange for probation and community service.

Jenna Ellis

• Role: Trump campaign legal advisor and spokesperson during the 2020 election.
• Outcome:
  • Admitted to making false statements about election fraud.
  • Accepted a plea deal in Georgia, which included probation and cooperation.
  • Publicly stated regret for her role in promoting misinformation.
  • Censured by the Colorado Bar for her conduct.

Lin Wood

• Role: Pro-Trump attorney who supported election fraud conspiracy theories.
• Outcome:
  • Voluntarily surrendered his law license in Georgia to avoid disciplinary action.
  • Facing defamation lawsuits related to his election fraud claims.

Jeffrey Clark

• Role: Former DOJ official who attempted to use the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election.
• Outcome:
  • Indicted in Georgia’s RICO case.
  • Facing disciplinary action for unethical conduct during his time in the DOJ.

Ignoring The Reality

The notion that this many far right republicans and non-partisan or republican Military leadership at the highest ranks would all independently turn on Trump without good reason, or due to some mass conspiracy, is denial on a cult-like scale. The huge majority of these people were strong Trump loyalists and were therefor pulled in as close members of Trump’s inner circle.

Trump has now surrounded himself with the most powerful and successful billionaires in the world. A small handful of men with more money than half of the United States combined. Billionaires who own social media, and therefore, the fire hose that they can turn to make the world believe anything they wish. When they use this in favor of Trump it is as dangerous as those above describe it. However, when the falling out happens this time (and it will) there will be no silencing the flood of criticisms directed at Trump. The Citizens United Supreme Court ruling told us money equates to free speech in the US… and the speech will be very loud when Trump inevitably turns on these men. How will someone as incapable of taking criticism, incapable of listening to experts and as unhinged as those closest to him describe above, respond? How destructive will that be to the United States?