Former Bush official Nicolle Wallace urges White House women to 'go on the record and condemn' Trump's comments


In the wake of President Trump's virulently sexist Twitter attack on Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski on Thursday, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace urged the White House and its female leaders to stand up to their boss.
"There's a single press strategy for this White House: It's called an apology," said Wallace, who served as the communications director under former President George W. Bush, at the top of her Thursday afternoon show. "All the women collecting paychecks from the U.S. taxpayers — Dina Powell, Kellyanne Conway, Elaine Chao, Betsy DeVos — you should all go on the record and condemn your boss' comments, and you should work behind the scenes to educate him about just how offensive they are."
Wallace also warned Republicans standing on the sidelines that their party "will be permanently associated with misogyny if leaders don't stand up and demand a retraction." Finally, she asked women who are wont to defend the president's remarks "how they plan to raise good men if the most powerful man in the world gets away with this."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When asked about the president's tweets, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump was simply fighting "fire with fire" and said she did not feel his remarks were inappropriate. "I think the American people elected someone who's smart, who's tough, who's a fighter, and that's Donald Trump," Sanders said.
Watch Wallace's impassioned speech below. Kimberly Alters
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections
-
News organizations reject Pentagon restrictions
Speed Read The proposed policy is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest move to limit press access at the Pentagon
-
Trump declares end to Gaza war, ‘dawn’ of new Mideast
Speed Read Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages and Israel released thousands of Palestinian detainees
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas