Jennifer Rubin is furious at how easily the despicable ex-members of the Trump administration seem to walk away unscathed, getting jobs at renowned universities and dancing on TV shows.
August 26, 2019

Jennifer Rubin joined Joy Ann Reid on AM Joy on Sunday morning to discuss all the craziness going on with the Republican Party and she could not have been more clear: We need to burn this mo fo down to ensure that no one walks away unscathed. After Joy Reid rattles off how many former members of the Trump administration have walked away unscathed and with sweet gigs: Corey Lewandoski went to Harvard. Reince Priebus went to the Navy. Hope Hicks went to FOX News. So did Sarah Huckabee Slanders. And, the latest lying liar to have a soft landing: Sean Spicer at Dancing With The Stars.

DIONNE: I think what you are seeing is kind of three streams of Trump people. There's stream one who had remained loyal and will use whatever sinecure anybody could give them to propagandize for Trump, and obviously, FOX News is the obvious place to do that. There is a second group that has largely gone silent, and you know, when you think about the turnover in this administration, the Brooking Institute, where I worked, I think 62% turnover, it's amazing how many people are silent. Then you have other people, as Jason pointed out, who are going to have a new career trashing Trump, having worked for him, and there will be clearly be an opening for them.

It is distressing. And that's why I go back to your earlier segment, I think a lot will depend for the future on how badly Trump is beaten in 2020. From my point of view, it is not sufficient that he lose, although that would be very important. But that it become a repudiation of everything connected to this administration, so there is not this welcome to all these folks for having served in some kind of normal administration and, fortunately, Trump keeps defying the idea that it is a normal administration, and to get totally discredited. I think it is very important not just to have a result where Trump loses, but actually a discrediting in large numbers by the voters of the United States.

REID: Is that going to happen, Jennifer? The fact is that major universities are opening their doors and welcoming these people. You have major networks opening their doors and trying to make them cute and let them dance on TV. There is no penalty, so it's hard to imagine when somewhere down the road, Republicans get elected President, they'll just hire these people again. This is an extreme administration that is dangerous. If you are Latino right now, you probably need to carry your birth certificate around. I know people doing this. They're so scared that they'll be scooped up and stolen. Yet it is fine. Go and dance on TV. It is incredible.

RUBIN: It is incredible. You know, I wrote a column way back when around the time Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied service at restaurants. What we should be doing is shunning these people. Shunning, shaming these people is a statement of moral indignation that these people are not fit for polite society. I think any institution, University of Virginia, for example, for a bit had a relationship with Marc Short, who's now back with the administration. It's absolutely abhorrent that any institution of higher learning or any news organization or any entertainment organization that has a news outlet would hire these people. I want to echo something my friend EJ said.It's not only that Trump has to lose, but that all his enablers have to lose. We have to collectively burn down the Republican party. We have to level them. Because if there are survivors, if there are people who weather this storm, they will do it again and they'll take it as confirmation that, hey, it pays to ride the waves. Look at me, I made it through. Up and down the ticket, federal state and local offices, the country has to repudiate this. It is NOT a normal administration, and when these people say, "Oh you can't criticize us, it will deter public service," it will deter people who are liars, who are enablers and who are really bad people and they should be deterred. They don't get to escape accountability. That's all of our job to hold them accountable for the rest of their lives.

Yes, we need to burn it down. BURN IT ALL DOWN.

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