Last month, Olivia Troye, former homeland security, counterterrorism and coronavirus adviser to Vide President Mike Pence, declared she’d had enough and would be supporting Joe Biden for president because of the Trump administration’s insistence on putting re-election concerns ahead of mounting a coherent response to the coronavirus epidemic. Needless to say, the pro-Trump Media Research Center had no interest in listening to her message, obsessing instead with her “betrayal” of Trump and Pence.
When Troye appeared on CNN, Joseph Norris whined, “What’s the quickest way to become a CNN contributor? Announce in a high-profile way that you’re a former administration staffer who is now supporting Joe Biden,” further huffing, “These staffers constantly speaking out are obviously part of the media’s effort to help Democrats, just over two months before the election.” Norris made sure to parrot the Trump White House’s attacks on her:
CNN neglected to report on the response of the administration to Ms. Troye’s exit. But President Trump gave a brief interview Thursday afternoon where he claimed that the former aide was fired from her position and later gave a “beautiful letter” praising the administration before she left.
Vice President Pence commented that “it reads to me like one more disgruntled employee that has decided to play politics during an election year.”
The next day, Alex Christy complained how CNN hosts “welcomed the betrayal of Pence aide Olivia Troye, who made a pro-Biden ad for “Republican Voters Against Trump.” The two had a mutual fondness for the word “damning” to describe Troye’s attack on President Trump’s COVID record. Pace even lamely claimed Troye, the self-proclaimed “McCain Republican,” helps Biden pitch himself as “more of a moderate,” referring to the segment as a “cheer-the-turncoat segment.” He further attacked Troye’s story: “Why would a disgruntled employee narrative be that implausible? Anyone who leaves the White House and bashes Trump gets at least 15 minutes of fame on CNN, with many getting book deals as well.”
Kristine Marsh went on the attack against the “Republican turncoat” as well: “Former Mike Pence aide Olivia Troye made the media salivate last week when she came out trashing President Trump as an uncaring monster who is undermining scientists in the task force’s coronavirus response,” Marsh lamented that “Troye only faced one question about her former boss calling her a disgruntled employee who was fired from the task force months ago.”
Norris returned to dismiss Troye once again as a “disgruntled ex-White House staffer Olivia Troye” who “has appeared on leftist media outlets several times to attack Trump.” Marsh later similarly dismissed Troye as a “Never Trumper.”
Like Trump, the MRC thinks loyalty is more important than competence.