Former NDGOP Communications Director: “Donald Trump Is a Terrifying Individual”
Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Bismarck, North Dakota US May 26, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
I had Matt Becker on my radio show today.
Matt is a former employee of the North Dakota Republican Party – he served the party as an executive director and communications director – and a former campaign manager/congressional staffer for Congressman Kevin Cramer. He raised eyebrows recently with a letter to the editor criticizing his former bosses – including Cramer and Senator John Hoeven – for supporting Donald Trump.
Becker now says he’s voting for Hillary Clinton.
I had initially booked Cramer for the segment after Becker declined my interview request, but when Becker said he could come on Cramer backed out.
[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]”I don’t understand someone who wants to enable Trump’s reckless path through American politics,” he said.[/mks_pullquote]
“Matt was 20 years old when he worked for the party and early 20’s when he worked for Kevin,” Kris Cramer, the congressman’s wife who also manages scheduling for his campaign, told me in an email. “There is no animosity toward him. He’s become an activist for Hillary Clinton so let him have his day.”
For Becker’s part, he told me he was “disappointed” when he learned of Cramer’s support for Trump. “I don’t understand someone who wants to enable Trump’s reckless path through American politics,” he said.
“Donald Trump is a terrifying individual,” he said. “I don’t think he’s good for the country. I don’t think he’s good for the Republican party.”
Becker said he still respects Congressman Cramer, and said both he and Hoeven have “a lot to gain…by speaking out against Donald Trump.” Becker’s reasoning is that neither Cramer nor Hoeven are at any sort of political risk here in this deeply Republican state, and so are in a better position than a lot of Republicans to shine a light on Trump’s problems.
Though there’s no sign that either man agrees. Both maintain their backing of Trump as their party’s national candidate, though to this observer Cramer seems much more enthusiastic about it than Hoeven.
When Becker’s letter was first made public I saw a lot of people suggest that his politics have changed since he moved to California. Becker disagreed. “I don’t think I’ve changed that much at all,” he said.
So how can he support Hillary Clinton?
There is one person in this race who can realistically stop Donald Trump,” Becker said.
Here’s the full audio:
