A former White House staffer said he was “definitely worried” after Donald Trump called his supporters this weekend to discuss possible impeachment.
In some all-caps screed on social media platforms, the former president said he expected to be arrested on Tuesday in the direction of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office. Bragg has been investigating Trump’s role in the payment of money to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
“Protest, take back our nation,” Trump told his followers. In another post, he said that “bad and evil people” are “killing our nation while we sit back and watch.”
“We must save America! Protest, protest, protest!!!” he wrote.
Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy White House press secretary during the Trump administration, was asked during an appearance on CNN if she was concerned about the former president’s rhetoric.
“It’s definitely a concern,” said Matthews, who resigned from the Trump administration on January 6, 2021, in an uprising at the US Capitol. “I think it shows that they didn’t learn anything after January 6th. The rhetoric they used is the same rhetoric they used around January 6th. I think in the Truth Social post they said they should protest. ‘get our nation back.'”
Washington Post via Getty Images
“That’s why I’m concerned to see him use that kind of rhetoric that can lead to violence,” he said, according to an interview clip published by Mediaite.
However, Matthews said he believes the response from supporters will be more muted than on January 6, 2021.
Last summer, Matthews testified before a House panel investigating the Capitol riots. He told the select committee that Trump did not want to include peace in his tweets to the rioters and that if he wanted to make a public speech from the press conference room, he could walk there in less than 60 seconds.