Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Tuesday that she wouldn’t be surprised if former President Donald Trump put her in jail.
Grisham told anchor Jake Tapper on CNN’s “The Lead” that, if Trump were to run again and win reelection in 2024, she fully expected him to exact “retribution and revenge” on anyone who spoke out about him. (RELATED: Grisham Admits To Being A Liar In Front Of Two CNN Reporters And Neither Asked The Obvious Question)
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Tapper asked Grisham about her new book, “I’ll Take Your Questions Now,” and her concerns that Trump could run again in 2024.
“You said earlier today that one of your biggest fears is if Trump wins again, people from the January 6th crowd, the insurrectionists, will end up in the White House. Who are you talking about specifically?” Tapper asked. “Who do you fear will become part of the White House?”
Grisham said that she did not have specific names in mind, but she did worry that people like former Republican New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and attorney Sidney Powell might remain close to Trump despite their continued insistence that the 2020 election had been stolen.
“I believe that if he were to win in 2024, he will pick whoever stood by him, you know, defended him, and he will place those people who will have defended the indefensible into the White House,” Grisham continued, arguing that anyone who understood the kind of person Trump already knew that.
Grisham went on to say that people who worked in politics might have a better idea than most of what it could look like if Trump were to run again and win.
“I’m just hoping against hope that I, by being completely honest, can help people just understand what the consequences could truly be,” she said.
“You write about how if Trump does end up back in the White House, he’ll be unleashed,” Tapper replied, pointing out the fact that he would not be worried about reelection in a second term. “He won’t have to worry about what voters think about him. You suggest there could be retribution and revenge. Against whom?”
“Not to be joking, but I bet he’ll put me in jail,” Grisham said. “I really think anybody who spoke out against him.”
Grisham noted that Trump was already working behind the scenes, endorsing candidates who were mounting primary challenges against the Republicans who had voted against him in the second impeachment trial.
“He’s already looking to — looking for revenge on them and placing people who, a lot of them don’t even have what it would take to be a congressman, and it’s not about those people being good candidates. It is about Donald Trump seeking revenge and getting people into Congress who will do exactly what he wants,” she concluded.