Pence calls Biden-endorsing former aide Olivia Troye 'disgruntled.' Fauci says 'she was important to the team.'
There are so many former Trump administration officials who now oppose his bid for re-election, they formed their own organization Thursday. The new group, the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform, is led by former Homeland Security Department Chief of Staff Miles Taylor and another former senior DHS official, Elizabeth Neumann. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' former chief of staff, Josh Venable, is also a member, as is short-tenured White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci and, according to Taylor, a current senior administration official. There are currently 26 Republicans in the group, Politico reports.
Olivia Troye, Vice President Mike Pence's homeland security and counterterrorism adviser until July, is one of the 26. In ad Thursday for another anti-Trump Republican group, Republican Voters Against Trump, Troye described watching all the work of the coronavirus task force — she was Pence's representative — being undermined by Trump.
When asked about Troye endorsing Trump's Democratic rival, Joe Biden, Pence said "it reads to me like one more disgruntled employee that has decided to play politics during [an] election year." "Disgruntled employee" is Trump's go-to description for the numerous aides and Cabinet secretaries who have sharply criticized him after leaving his administration and it's "such a weird talking point," New York's Josh Barro tweeted. "An organization that produces a sh--load of disgruntled, troublesome ex-employees is ordinarily a poorly run organization."
Subscribe to 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.
MSNBC's Chris Hayes asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the coronavirus task force's top infectious disease expert, about Troye's statement on Thursday night, and he said he couldn't discuss the politics. "I interacted with Olivia, I liked her, she was a good person, she was important to the team as a staff person to the coronavirus task force, but you know, I don't know what to make about what has just come out recently," Fauci said. "It would be very difficult for me to comment on that."
"I think the American people should feel confidence in that, that a lot of people are looking at this very, very carefully to make sure that there's not political things that drive what should be scientific considerations," Fauci said. "I'm one of them, and I have a number of colleagues that are with me."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How social media is limiting political content
The Explainer Critics say Meta's 'extraordinary move' to have less politics in users' feeds could be 'actively muzzling civic action'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Unthinkable tragedy'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Passenger: 'pleasingly off-kilter' ITV crime drama
The Week Recommends There's 'plenty to be feared' in this British murder mystery set in a quiet northern town
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US-Israel rift widens after UN cease-fire resolution
Speed Read The U.S. declined to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a two-week "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Jersey first lady exits race to replace Menendez
Speed Read Tammy Murphy dropping out paves the way for Rep. Andy Kim to become the state's next senator
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia blames Ukraine for deadly ISIS Moscow attack
Speed Read Putin has ignored the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the concert hall shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump-RNC pact puts Trump legal bills ahead of GOP
Speed Read The former president has struck a deal with the Republican National Committee to put donations toward his legal bills
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Vietnam president resigns amid scandal
Speed Read Vietnam loses its second president in two years as Vo Van Thuong steps down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas migrant law in limbo after Supreme Court OK
Speed Read The law has been blocked again, mere hours after the Supreme Court allowed the state to arrest migrants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cubans rally for 'power and food' in rare protests
Speed Read The protests came after 18-hour rolling blackouts and food supply shortages
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published