Ex-Trump official says U.S. 'less secure' due to president's actions, endorses Biden

By Moira Warburton

 

FILE PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden gestures as he speaks at a campaign event, on his first joint appearance with Vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris after being named his running mate, at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., August 12, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former high-ranking Trump administration official said on Monday the United States is "less secure" under the Republican president as he endorsed Democratic challenger Joe Biden for November's election.

 

Miles Taylor, who served at the Department of Homeland Security between 2017 and 2019, including as chief of staff, said he "witnessed the damning results firsthand" of what he called President Donald Trump's "personal deficiencies."

 

"I can attest that the country is less secure as a direct result of the president’s actions," Taylor wrote in an op-ed published in the Washington Post on the day the Democrats kick off a four-day virtual convention to nominate Biden.

 

"Today the nation has fewer friends and stronger enemies than when Trump took office."

 

In a statement to Reuters, White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere called Taylor "another creature of the D.C. Swamp who never understood the importance of the President’s agenda or why the American people elected him and clearly just wants to cash-in."

 

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Taylor is one of the most senior former Trump officials to endorse Biden, the former vice president who has a solid lead in most opinion polls for the Nov. 3 election. He called Trump's presidency "dangerously chaotic."

 

"Even though I'm not a Democrat, even though I disagree on key issues, I'm confident that Joe Biden will protect the country and I'm confident he won't make the same mistakes as this president," Taylor said in an ad to support Biden released on Monday by Republican Voters Against Trump, an anti-Trump advocacy group.

 

Trump's "inappropriate and often absurd executive requests" meant DHS staffers were regularly taken away from dealing with genuine security concerns, Taylor said in his op-ed.

 

"One morning it might be a demand to shut off congressionally appropriated funds to a foreign ally that had angered him, and that evening it might be a request to sharpen the spikes atop the border wall so they'd be more damaging to human flesh," Taylor wrote.

 

(Reporting by Moira Warburton; Editing by Mary Milliken and Dan Grebler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-18

 

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So what is this article trying to say?  That Miles Taylor's opinion is spot on and any other high ranking official taking an opposite view would not be?  Beware of articles which offer no facts to support the conclusions they wish to lead you to believe without question.

 

Edit:  Do take note that he's not a Democrat, which is supposed to somehow add credibility and accuracy to his "opinion" as "unbiased."  LOL

 

 

Edited August 17, 20205 yr by Tippaporn

23 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

So what is this article trying to say?  That Miles Taylor's opinion is spot on and any other high ranking official taking an opposite view would not be?  Beware of articles which offer no facts to support the conclusions they wish to lead you to believe without question.

 

Edit:  Do take note that he's not a Democrat, which is supposed to somehow add credibility and accuracy to his "opinion" as "unbiased."  LOL

 

 

What are you saying, the guy is a liar without any proof whatsoever? trump and his appointees have shown countless times it is they who make false and misleading statements and relentlessly attempt to smear people speaking 'truth to power'. A quote from the OP, which is unequivocal, from a man who held a very senior position in DHS and attended WH meetings with trump...

 

"I can attest that the country is less secure as a direct result of the president’s actions," Taylor wrote

Only the beginning; this house of cards is falling fast!

Stating the obvious along with Rex tillerson general Kelley and many many others he’s gotta go

------  3 wheels on my wagon.

39 minutes ago, simple1 said:

What are you saying, the guy is a liar without any proof whatsoever? trump and his appointees have shown countless times it is they who make false and misleading statements and relentlessly attempt to smear people speaking 'truth to power'. A quote from the OP, which is unequivocal, from a man who held a very senior position in DHS and attended WH meetings with trump...

 

"I can attest that the country is less secure as a direct result of the president’s actions," Taylor wrote

It's one official's opinion.  That's all it is.  For you it's just more "proof."  LOL

 

Edited August 17, 20205 yr by Tippaporn

11 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

It's one official's opinion.  That's all it is.  For you it's just more "proof."  LOL

 

No, it is not 'one official's opinion', plenty of ex trump administration officials have spoken out against him. So far as I'm concerned trump administration, more accurately trump himself, doesn't have any credibility so far as his domestic policies and his international affairs pronouncements, completely untrustworthy. His appointees appear to have forgotten they are sworn to protect the Constitution, not a wannabe king.

Edited August 17, 20205 yr by simple1

Troll post removed.  

 

51 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

It's one official's opinion.  That's all it is.  For you it's just more "proof."  LOL

 

Certainly don’t see many ex trump cabinet members rushing to his defense............

33 minutes ago, Tug said:

Certainly don’t see many ex trump cabinet members rushing to his defense............

No need 

Patently obvious this guy just has an ax to grind. 

 

MAGA 

2 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

So what is this article trying to say?  That Miles Taylor's opinion is spot on and any other high ranking official taking an opposite view would not be?  Beware of articles which offer no facts to support the conclusions they wish to lead you to believe without question.

 

Edit:  Do take note that he's not a Democrat, which is supposed to somehow add credibility and accuracy to his "opinion" as "unbiased."  LOL

 

 

If you find that the article doesn't offer facts, he made a video available online that offer specific incidents as proof

12 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

No need 

Patently obvious this guy just has an ax to grind. 

 

MAGA 

What makes it patently obvious other than you said so? The article is not as explicit as his video which offers up specifics.

2 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

It's one official's opinion.  That's all it is.  For you it's just more "proof."  LOL

 

What makes this guy's opinion more credible than yours is that he was there.  Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should be outraged by some of these charges.  For example...

 

[...., Taylor said what he saw "after two and a half years in that administration was terrifying." He described how "we would go in and try to talk to [Trump] about pressing national security issues," but "he wasn't interested in those things." "The president wanted to exploit the Department of Homeland Security for his own political purposes and to fuel his own agenda," Taylor continued. For example, Trump tried to tell FEMA to stop sending aid to wildfire-stricken California because it didn't vote for him, and "wanted to restart zero tolerance" and "have a deliberate policy of ripping children away from their parents" at the border," Taylor said.]

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dhs-chief-staff-under-trump-212400135.html

 

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

No need 

Patently obvious this guy just has an ax to grind. 

 

MAGA 

 He's just another staffer, with a ax to grind! 

He worked for google as a cybersecurity advisor after DHS, until many employees found what his priors were . 

 

"Meanwhile, though, Google was hiring from within the ranks of the very agency that its employees protested.

In a long-form exclusive earlier this week,Buzzfeed News  reported that Google has hired former Department of Homeland Security  staffer Miles Taylor as a “government affairs and public policy manager.”

At DHS, Taylor publicly defended the Trump administration's immigration policies while moving up the ranks". 

https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/limits-employee-activism-google-steps-back-immigration-mess-new-hire/85366

 

Edited August 18, 20205 yr by riclag

1 minute ago, riclag said:

 He's just another staffer, with a ax to grind! 

He worked for google as a cybersecurity advisor after DHS, until many employees found what his priors were . 

 

"Meanwhile, though, Google was hiring from within the ranks of the very agency that its employees protested.

In a long-form exclusive earlier this week, Buzzfeed News reported that Google has hired former Department of Homeland Security staffer Miles Taylor as a “government affairs and public policy manager.”

At DHS, Taylor publicly defended the Trump administration's immigration policies while moving up the ranks". 

https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/limits-employee-activism-google-steps-back-immigration-mess-new-hire/85366

 

So, does that make him less credible?

 

He has facts about Trump's actions and intentions, and those don't look well for the president.

55 minutes ago, kamahele said:

If you find that the article doesn't offer facts, he made a video available online that offer specific incidents as proof

Link, please.  I'd watch it (and comment),

Troll post containing a reference to TDS has been removed.   Continue and face a suspension. 

 

2 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

It's one official's opinion.  That's all it is.  For you it's just more "proof."  LOL

 

So people can't have opinion, even personal one if say some negative about your dear potus? You Trump "lover" can in other hand say what ever from Biden! He is "too old, senile". And that not bother you! Seem's like Trump supportter's are made in same narcissist "mold"! 

 

Everyone is ignorant only on different subjects.       

Will Rogers

 

1 hour ago, Tippaporn said:

Link, please.  I'd watch it (and comment),

spare us please

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

No, it is not 'one official's opinion', plenty of ex trump administration officials have spoken out against him. So far as I'm concerned trump administration, more accurately trump himself, doesn't have any credibility so far as his domestic policies and his international affairs pronouncements, completely untrustworthy. His appointees appear to have forgotten they are sworn to protect the Constitution, not a wannabe king.

 

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

No, it is not 'one official's opinion', plenty of ex trump administration officials have spoken out against him. So far as I'm concerned trump administration, more accurately trump himself, doesn't have any credibility so far as his domestic policies and his international affairs pronouncements, completely untrustworthy. His appointees appear to have forgotten they are sworn to protect the Constitution, not a wannabe king.

It's amazing that Trump supporters like Tippaporn are still blind to the obvious. Trump is always the dumbest person in the room and his supporters are intellectual equals. The simple fact that this person was a top Trump administration official is proof enough that his opinion is a valid one. I guess that Colin Powell is also a person that only has an opinion. Remember, he is a Republican and a former top presidential administration official. I can't be bothered with those intellectual equals of this laughable president. 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere called Taylor "another creature of the D.C. Swamp who never understood the importance of the President’s agenda

I also don't understand the President's agenda, could you please enlighten this BKK Swamp dweller?

5 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

So what is this article trying to say?  That Miles Taylor's opinion is spot on and any other high ranking official taking an opposite view would not be?  Beware of articles which offer no facts to support the conclusions they wish to lead you to believe without question.

 

Edit:  Do take note that he's not a Democrat, which is supposed to somehow add credibility and accuracy to his "opinion" as "unbiased."  LOL

Well said, Tippaporn. I'm glad to see someone comment on this sensibly before the haters jump on.

Meme removed.  Also trolling post.  

 

 

For the Trump cheerleader brigade, a simple question:

"Why is it that so many ex-Trump advisors and cabinet members turn against him and warn the public after having worked with him whereas none have against Obama?"

I mean, you told us that "only the best people" would be hired, yet the turnover within the White House is staggering and once the people leave the President informs us they were imbeciles, that the "swamp would be drained" yet there have been more indictments of people from this administration than any other. Yet...when it comes to Obama, crickets. 

Did y'all take a vaccine for cognitive dissonance so that this just doesn't bother you in the slightest?

56 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I also don't understand the President's agenda, could you please enlighten this BKK Swamp dweller?

To enrich himself ... Clearly you should understand that ????

6 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

So what is this article trying to say?  That Miles Taylor's opinion is spot on and any other high ranking official taking an opposite view would not be?  Beware of articles which offer no facts to support the conclusions they wish to lead you to believe without question.

 

Edit:  Do take note that he's not a Democrat, which is supposed to somehow add credibility and accuracy to his "opinion" as "unbiased."  LOL

 

 

No, the article is not saying that at all. It is specifically speaking of Trump's actions leading to a less secure nation. Why read anything else into it. Quite simple really.

5 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

It's one official's opinion.  That's all it is.  For you it's just more "proof."  LOL

 

Chief of Staff at Dept. of Homeland Security does lend itself to more credibility than yourself sir. Not just any old "(one) official's opinion".

Who?

6 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

So what is this article trying to say?  That Miles Taylor's opinion is spot on and any other high ranking official taking an opposite view would not be?  Beware of articles which offer no facts to support the conclusions they wish to lead you to believe without question.

 

Edit:  Do take note that he's not a Democrat, which is supposed to somehow add credibility and accuracy to his "opinion" as "unbiased."  LOL

 

 

I don't believe that Taylor's opinion is unbiased at all. Nor do I think that the writer or publisher of the article believes his opinion is unbiased either. But generally speaking, whether you are a Trumpeter or a Demagogue, don't you think that supporting Trump, not being in the opposition party and serving in Trump's administration in Homeland Security might indicate at some time a bias towards Trump?

 

No one is trying to "add credibility or accuracy" to his opinion - the point of the story is that here is an official who supported and worked for Trump and therefore knew him well and has now come out against him. And here are HIS reasons (not anyone else's reasons) for doing so.

 

That is all. In any administration, if an official turns against the administration in this way with this level of criticism, that is headline news. What is additionally unusual in the case of the current administration is that even though Trump has handpicked the individuals, a large number of them have left (fired or resigned) and some have talked about their experiences in very critical ways. No other administration has had that experience.

 

You have to ask the question - if they are all bad apples, as Trump says, why did he pick them? Does he select the wrong people? Or is it because going in nobody believes that a president could behave in the way that he does and that is why so many of them are so critical afterwards?

 

If you don't think that this is a worthy news story, then perhaps it is your idea of a free press that should be questioned!