US election campaign: Trump’s ex-spokeswoman promotes Harris to Democrats

A former spokeswoman for former President Donald Trump has campaigned for the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Kamala Harris at the Democratic convention. Stephanie Grisham said at the Democratic convention in Chicago that after her years under Trump, she is now standing as an advocate for Harris at the convention. “She respects the American people,” she said, referring to Harris. “And she has my vote.”

Grisham served as press secretary to former First Lady Melania Trump from 2017 to 2019 before taking over the positions of press secretary and White House communications director for Donald Trump for around nine months. She then became spokeswoman and, for a time, chief of staff to Melania Trump again.

In Chicago, Grisham said she used to be a fervent supporter of Trump. “I was one of his closest advisors. The Trump family became my family.” She spent Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s with the Trumps. “I saw him when the cameras were off,” she said, referring to the former president. “Behind closed doors, Trump mocks his supporters.” He has no empathy, no morals and no loyalty to the truth.

Trump always told her: “It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie, say it often enough and people will believe you.” But it is important what someone says and what they don’t say, Grisham warned. After the attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, she resigned because she no longer wanted to be “part of this madness.”

After leaving the Trump administration, Grisham published a book and has since been an outspoken critic of the former president.

At the Democratic convention, a former Trump voter also took the stage and reported how he had turned away from the Republican out of frustration with his trade policy. He now wants to vote for Harris, he said.