'Redemption or new gig?' Internet skeptical as ex-WH press secretary Stephanie Grisham says Trump knows 'he's lying' about Jan 6

WASHINGTON, DC: In a startling revelation just days after the three-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham openly criticized former President Donald Trump, her former boss, branding him as a 'fraud' who 'doesn't care about the American people or our country'.

Grisham made these remarks during a recent appearance on CNN, where she engaged in a candid conversation with host Jim Acosta. The discussion primarily revolved around the January 6 insurrection and Trump's recent assertion that the FBI was responsible for the attack.

Donald Trump's relationship with his base

Grisham and Acosta also delved into a recent poll indicating that approximately one-third of Trump's supporters believe in his claim regarding the FBI and the events of that fateful day. According to Grisham, Trump's supporters prefer embracing conspiracy theories rather than admitting they were mistaken about the 45th president.

"I think that when you believe in somebody so much, like Donald Trump, it's easier to just want to believe that the FBI would be behind something, rather than admitting that the person you've been backing for years and years is a fraud and actually doesn't care about the American people or our country," she stated during the interview.

Reflecting on her personal experience, Grisham admitted the difficulty of reconciling her beliefs about Trump.

“I say that just from personal experience,” she continued. “It was really hard for me to come to terms with who he was because I really believed in him, his policies, and the person I thought he was. I think that people just would rather believe these conspiracy theories rather than admit that they were wrong about this person.”

Contrary to labeling Trump as a 'crackpot',  Grisham characterized him as 'actually a very smart man' who knowingly spreads falsehoods. “I mean, he was president of the United States, so we have to give him a modicum of credit for that," she explained.

“But no, he knows he’s lying. He used to tell me when I was press secretary, ‘Go out there and say this.’ And if it was false, he would say, ‘It doesn’t matter, Stephanie. Just say it over and over and over again, people will believe it.’ He knows his base believes in him. He knows he can basically say anything and his base will believe what he’s saying,” she added.

Having served as the White House press secretary from July 2019 to April 2020 and later as the chief of staff for Melania Trump, Grisham resigned from her post on January 6, 2021, following the violent Capitol attack. Since departing the White House, she has been vocal about her experiences within the Trump administration.

In addressing Trump's potential candidacy in future elections, Grisham expressed concern that perpetuating 'lies' to his supporters may hinder him in the general election.

“Now, I think this will help propel him into the general, but I think that independents and you know, center-leaning Republicans are not going to be buying this,” she said. “They’re much much smarter than that, and so I think that he’s gonna get in trouble in the general with this kind of these kinds of lies.”

According to Grisham, some of Trump’s base find it easier to believe what he is saying simply because they have supported him for so long.

“It was really hard for me to come to terms with who he was, because I really believed in him, his policies, and the person I thought he was. So that’s what I think; I think that people just would rather believe these conspiracy theories, rather than admit that they were wrong about this person,” she said, as quoted by The Hill.

Social Media Reactions

Grisham's comments triggered a wave of reactions on social media. 

"WHY were these people prepared to spend six years with Trump as he lied every day, lying/covering for him as well? What pride is there in that? Is this about redemption or a new gig for people like Stephanie Grisham now? Or is she (still) lying?" one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"We know he is lying, he knows that he is lying, and some people continue to repeat his lies anyway. This is really messed up!" another fumed.

"They believe him because they want to believe him. Their racism, bigotry, & hate depend on it," a comment read.

"Yeah, it’s called desensitizing and programming," someone else chimed in.

"Everyone knows he’s lying … even MAGA. They are pretending to believe him because they want his hateful spin on reality to become true," another offered.