Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Says Melania Trump Refused To Condemn Violence On Jan. 6

Former Trump White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham delivered a scathing denunciation of her former boss Donald Trump at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off in Chicago on Monday night and continued on Tuesday with speeches from former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and more.

In her speech, Grisham, once a devoted Trump supporter, shed light on the former president’s true character and painted a picture of a destructive leader who lacked all empathy and morals.

Grisham punctuated her speech with a screenshot of a text exchange between herself and then-First Lady Melania Trump during the January 6 riot. In the texts, Grisham urged Melania to tweet a message that called for peaceful protests and condemned the violence, but the first lady flatly refused, with the single word “No.”

Grisham said, “I became the first senior staffer to resign that day…I couldn’t be part of the insanity any longer.”

She continued, “When I was press secretary, I got skewered for never holding a White House briefing, it’s because, unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand at that podium and lie…Now, here I am behind a podium advocating for a Democrat. And that’s because I love my country more than my party.”

Grisham explained her transformation from a loyal Trump supporter to a Democratic advocate. She recounted her time within the Trump inner circle, where she witnessed the former president’s disdain for his own supporters, whom he allegedly referred to as “basement dwellers.”

Grisham also alleged that Trump lacked empathy, morals, and fidelity to the truth, and once told her, “It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie, say it enough, and people will believe you.”

Grisham‘s endorsement of Kamala Harris and the Democratic ticket was a powerful statement, that underscored the depth of her disillusionment with the Republican Party and its former leader.