Ex-Tea Party lawmaker slams 'traitor' Donald Trump — and praises 'patriot' Hillary Clinton
Former Tea Party Republican congressman Joe Walsh is drawing a line on American soil: He is heralding former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as a "patriot" — and slamming former President Donald Trump as a "traitor."
"Hillary Clinton is a patriot, Donald Trump is a traitor," he opened his "White Flag" podcast episode. "Those are words that five, six, seven years ago, I never ever thought I would utter.
"I never thought I'd ever say Hillary Clinton is a patriot."
And yet here he is spelling out precisely why he had a come-to-Jesus moment with Clinton, whom he admits he voted against.
For Walsh, the smoking gun proof placating Trump's betrayal was his unwillingness to concede in the 2020 election and subsequent denial of his defeat to President Joe Biden.
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He described Trump as being the "only president in American history who lost an election and refused to concede."
And Walsh notes that Trump is the only president in American history who "refused to participate in the peaceful transfer of power."
"He still lies about the election," he added. "He still hasn't conceded. He still lies about who won in 2020."
Why is Clinton exonerated in Walsh's mind? Unlike Trump, she put her country ahead of her ego. She conceded and attended Trump's inauguration.
"The morning after Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in 2016, the morning after that election, Hillary Clinton went on national television and to the entire nation, she publicly conceded and wished Donald Trump well," he said. "And then Hillary went to Donald Trump's inauguration. She participated in that peaceful transfer of power. Them there are the facts. That's the truth."
So for Walsh, Trump failure to concede earns him a villainous status.
"Trump did not participate in the peaceful transfer of power," said Walsh. "Trump did not go to the inauguration. And on top of all of this, Donald Trump did all he could do to try to overthrow an American election."
On the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, Trump stands criminally accused of cooking up a widespread campaign to subvert then-President-Elect Joe Biden’s win.
Trump and his advisers secured false slates of electors and leaned on Vice President Mike Pence to ignore the legitimate results.
A subsequent "Stop the Steal" protest on Jan. 6 saw mobs of pro-Trump supporters storm the Capitol to thwart the certification of votes that erupted into a deadly riot.
"Who's the patriot," asks Walsh. "Who's the traitor?"