Sarah Matthews, a former staffer to former President Donald Trump, said Monday that she will not vote for him in November and suggested she may vote for President Biden instead.
“When you have a candidate on the ballot who doesn’t protect the Constitution, you feel like you have to put policy aside,” Matthews said on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.” “And I want to support the person best suited to defeat Donald Trump.”
Her remarks stand in contrast to other former advisers to President Trump. Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who has become a frequent critic of the former president since her departure, said earlier this month that he would vote on the “Republican ticket” in November.
“I think it’s my duty to choose the person who I think will do the least harm to the country,” Barr said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “And in my mind, I’m voting on the Republican ticket.”
Matthews said he has spoken with many Republicans, including elected officials, who have been privately “bashing” Trump. But, she added, “many of them won’t even say it publicly.”
“And what they often say is they’re supporting him for policy, they want conservative policies, but what’s really frustrating to me is that they’re calling this out of a normal election.” “We’re treating him like a normal Republican candidate and a normal Democratic candidate,” Matthews continued. “Well, this isn’t too far off from what happened.”
President Trump mocked Barr on social media after he decided to support the Republican ticket regardless of the candidate.
“Oh! Bill Barr, the former general election official who let down so many great people by not investigating our country’s voter fraud, is the one who called me “weak, slow, lethargic, The York Post just endorsed me as a presidential candidate even though they called me ‘gutless and lazy’! ),” President Trump posted on Truth Social last week. “Based on the fact that I deeply appreciate his heartfelt support, I am removing the word ‘apathy’ from my statement. Thank you, Bill.”
Another Republican leader who clashed with the former president also announced his support last month. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) endorsed Trump after his last remaining rival, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, suspended her campaign.
“It is clear that former President Trump has the necessary support among Republican voters to be the nominee for president of the United States,” the senator said at the time. “It’s no surprise that he has my support as a candidate.”
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