It’s not every day that you see a former Trump administration official taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention, but that’s exactly what happened when Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary, stepped up to the podium. And let me tell you, she did not hold back when it came to her old boss, Donald Trump.
Grisham’s speech was met with cheers as she unloaded on Trump, revealing what she saw behind the scenes. “I saw him when the cameras were off. Behind closed doors, Trump mocks his supporters—calls them ‘basement dwellers,’” she claimed. That’s a pretty bold statement, but Grisham wasn’t done.
She painted a picture of a president more concerned with his image than the people he was supposed to be leading, saying, “When people were dying in the ICU, [Trump] was mad that cameras weren’t watching him. He has no empathy. No morals. No fidelity to the truth.”
After her speech, Grisham spoke with the Daily Mail and described the experience as “surreal.” She admitted to being nervous, saying, “Everybody’s been really welcoming, and so it’s been great. I was really scared, I’m not going to lie.” It’s not hard to imagine why she might have been on edge—after all, she was speaking to a crowd of Democrats after years of being one of Trump’s closest advisors.
Grisham’s time in the Trump administration was notable, not just because of her roles as press secretary and communications director, but also because of her close relationship with the Trump family. She even spent holidays like Easter and Christmas at Mar-a-Lago, which she mentioned in her speech.
The events of January 6, 2021, changed everything for her. She recounted how she asked Melania Trump if they could at least condemn the violence at the Capitol, to which Melania responded with a single word: “No.” That was the last straw for Grisham, who resigned that day.
Her speech at the convention wasn’t just about bashing Trump; it was also about why she was supporting Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. “Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people, and she has my vote,” Grisham declared. And in a moment that surely resonated with many in the audience, she said, “Now, here I am: behind a podium, advocating for a Democrat because I love my country more than my party.”
Grisham’s appearance has, of course, ruffled some feathers among her former colleagues. Tim Murtaugh, who worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign, couldn’t resist a jab, pointing out that Grisham held “one more time at the podium than she logged as White House press secretary,” referencing her decision not to hold a single press briefing during her tenure.
Despite her sharp criticism of Trump, Grisham maintains that she’s still very much a Republican. But in her own words, this election is too important for her to stay silent.
