WHITE HOUSE ATTACKS FORMER PENCE AIDE
Adviser sharply criticized Trump’s response to virus
WASHINGTON
Top White House aides on Tuesday escalated their efforts to undermine the credibility of a former senior adviser to Vice President Mike Pence who has endorsed Joe Biden, accusing her of publicly criticizing the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic because she is disgruntled over being fired.
Keith Kellogg, the retired lieutenant general who is national security adviser to Pence, told reporters that he had recommended removing the aide, Olivia Troye, from her position as the vice president’s top Homeland Security adviser in charge of managing the coronavirus task force.
“The reason I fired her was her performances started to drop after six months working on the task force,” Kellogg said, calling Troye a “backbencher” in the administration’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
“She was responsible for coordinating meetings, bringing people together. And when the performance level dropped off,” he said, he went to Pence “and recommended she leave. I’m the one that escorted her off the compound.”
The comments from Kellogg
and similar criticism of Troye from Kayleigh Mcenany, the White House press secretary, were part of an aggressive public relations attempt to denounce and discredit former administration officials who are increasingly speaking out against President Donald Trump.
Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff to Kirstjen Nielsen, the former secretary of homeland security, last week announced a new organization with more than two dozen former administration officials and other Republicans who oppose Trump’s bid for a second term. Troye is a member of the group, as is Josh Venable, who served as chief of staff for Betsy Devos, the secretary of education.
“These are not profiles in courage; these are profiles in cowardice,” Mcenany said Tuesday during a briefing with reporters.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Troye disputed Kellogg’s claim, adding a photo of a ceremonial coin that she said Kellogg had given her upon her departure.
“Sad that Gen. Kellogg is telling a bald faced lie to protect the President,” she wrote. “I resigned on my own accord & was asked to stay. He never escorted me out. He knows this. I wrote a note thanking all the colleagues who had worked so hard with me in spite of POTUS & I stand by that.”
Taylor issued a statement on Twitter after the briefing as well, saying: “The truth drives this White House crazy. My feelings aren’t hurt, @Presssec. But you didn’t specifically deny what I’ve said about POTUS. That’s because it’s all real. And y’all are worried about Americans hearing it.”
In an opinion essay posted on CNN’S website on Tuesday, Taylor praised Troye for coming forward, adding that senior administration officials had “sung her praises to me repeatedly during her two years at the White House.”
Troye, a lifelong Republican who had previously served in national security positions in the George W. Bush administration, came forward publicly last week to accuse Trump of botching the response to the coronavirus and endangering lives in the process. In news media appearances and a campaign ad, she said she planned to vote for Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate.
Troye also said that she had heard the president disparage his supporters, saying during a task force meeting that he welcomed the virus because it meant he would not have to shake hands with “disgusting” people.
“He said, ‘When you’re a politician, you have to shake a lot of hands,’” Troye said in an appearance on the “Today” show on NBC on Tuesday morning. “‘You have to shake a lot of hands. And these people are disgusting. It’s gross. And so maybe, COVID’S probably a good thing, right? I don’t have to shake hands. I don’t have to do that anymore.’”
Shear writes for The New York Times.