An ex-staffer in former President Donald Trump’s administration seemed to suggest he is behind the “brain rot” in America.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a co-host on “The View” and a one-time aide to Trump, unloaded on the influence of her former boss during a talk on CNN where she discussed his reaction to the death of Alexei Navalny, the 47-year-old Russian opposition leader who died in a Siberian prison last week.
Trump eventually weighed in on the reports with a post on Truth Social, saying, “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction.”
His detractors naturally found a way to criticize his reaction, with Trump’s former national security advisor, John Bolton, speaking on CNN ahead of Griffin to claim the 2024 GOP frontrunner only cares about himself.
Griffin, a CNN political commentator, added to the coverage, contending that Trump is a fan of so-called “strongmen” while having no core policy beliefs.
“So we just had John Bolton on last hour, and one of the things that Ambassador Bolton says is that, in his mind, Donald Trump doesn’t have any views per se, except that I’m going to do what’s good for Donald Trump. So when it comes to his reluctance to say anything about Alexei Navalny’s death, why is that good for Donald Trump?” asked anchor John Berman on “CNN This Morning” Tuesday.
“I slightly disagree with John Bolton here,” Griffin replied.
“I do think he doesn’t have core policy viewpoints. I don’t know that I think he has a strong moral compass in any manner, really, but he is drawn to personalities, and he’s drawn to people who he likes the way they speak, he likes that’s the way they lead, and they present,” she claimed, as if an expert on Trump psyche.
“And again, that is why he likes strongmen. He praises [Chinese leader] Xi [Jinping], he praises [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un, he sees them as strong leaders who challenge their people and try to rule with an iron fist. That does resonate with him,” she continued.
“I think that this comes down to the fact he’s always hesitated to criticize the Kremlin. He’s always hesitated to criticize Putin. And this goes a bit deeper,” she told Berman.
“There is a brain rot and a moral rot on some of the American right, right now. When you see someone like Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the House, somebody who would have been a huge NATO proponent, basically comparing Alexei Navalny’s death to the persecution of Donald Trump, we are very far gone,” she declared, referring to a post on X by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Navalnys death in prison is a brutal reminder that jailing your political opponents is inhumane and a violation of every principle of a free society. Watch the Biden Administration speak out against Putin and his jailing of his leading political opponent while Democrats in four…
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) February 16, 2024
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is still challenging Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, echoed the left’s criticism of Trump in a post on X.
“Donald Trump could have condemned [Russian President] Vladimir Putin for being a murderous thug,” the former UN ambassador wrote. “Trump could have praised Navalny’s courage. Instead, he stole a page from liberals’ playbook, denouncing America and comparing our country to Russia.”
Griffin, who left the Trump administration in December 2020, has continued her betrayal of her former boss in her persistent and vocal critiques.
Social media users were not impressed with her CNN analysis.
Brain rot is made by msm
— nikolai mohob (@NMohob) February 20, 2024
Yep, #TrumpDerangementSyndrome is real
— Jer (@EmojiVader) February 20, 2024
She’s a pathetic individual.
— Stephanie (@srwjo) February 20, 2024
You misspelled Corp Media and Dem’s name with Trump.
— Meteoric Burst Panthera (@BorosRaditz) February 20, 2024
Disgruntled ex-employee says things.
— Una Paloma (@Una_Paloma1) February 20, 2024
Propaganda..
— Christopher Prosch (@Pro1854) February 20, 2024
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
- Joe Kent’s claim that Charlie Kirk’s last words to him were about Iran is met with anger - March 19, 2026
- Top ‘CBS Evening News’ producer may be on chopping block as ratings plummet to new low - March 19, 2026
- State Department to require bonds of up to $15,000 for visa applications from a dozen more countries - March 19, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.