Former Trump staffer makes bold claims about him wanting to execute leaker

Donald Trump said a lot of vicious things behind closed doors while in the White House, but one of the worst may have been his calling for the execution of a leaker who revealed a story that painted the former president in a negative light. 

Trump’s former White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin disclosed in an interview with Mediaite’s Aidan McLaughlin during a Press Club podcast that Trump once called for the execution of a staffer who leaked a story about him. 

Griffin explained Trump “straight up said a staffer who leaked… should be executed” in a meeting she had attended with the former president where an anonymous story about his actions during a protest following the death of George Floyd. 

According to The Guardian’s explanation of Griffin’s remarks, the leaker had revealed that the former president was in a secure bunker at the White House during the height of the protests that formed following the death of Folyd by Minnesota police. 

Griffin went on to explain that former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr “kind of danced it and said I don’t recall that specific instance” when asked about the incident while being interviewed by CNN’s Kaitlin Collins. 

The New Republic reported that in Barr’s April 2024 interview with Collins, Barr tried to justify the former president’s comments by saying Trump would “lose his temper” and he would “blow off steam” by calling for the execution of individuals. 

Barr also explained that Trump could eventually be talked down from his desire to put those who upset him to death and added: “I doubt he would’ve actually carried it out.” But the news outlets noted Barr didn’t say what happened when he couldn’t be talked down. 

Griffin also revealed in her remarks to Mediaite that “there were others where we talked about executing people,” which was a rather worrying revelation about the former president. A Trump campaign spokesperson quickly responded to Griffin's claims, but their response was also troubling. 

"As President Trump has said, the best revenge is the success and prosperity of all Americans,” Steven Cheung said in a statement to Newsweek about Griffin’s comments. He did not confirm any of the details of the alleged meeting Griffin disclosed. 

Griffin left the Trump administration in December 2020, weeks after the former president lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Griffin has since emerged as a fierce critic of Trump who currently contributes to CNN and serves as a conservative voice on The View. 

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