I have to say I got a kick out of the latest news about Trump’s Georgia co-defendant Jenna Ellis. There’s a nice write up in The Guardian about her so publicly and pointedly saying what so many other’s covered in Trump “whatever” can’t bring themselves to do – say there’s no way she can support or vote for Trump next year. I read the story twice and checked to make sure it was from the actual reputable outlet and not some spoof.
It seems that despite her being so enamored of Trump she did things in the wake of the 2020 election that got her criminally indicted unlike so many others she’s had enough. Ellis says she can’t vote for him anymore because he’s a “malignant narcissist” and can’t admit mistakes. Gee Ms. Ellis, ya think? She has her own show on American Family Radio, a right wing network that focuses on Evangelicals. It’s been, according to it’s own statements on the front line of the “culture wars” since 1977. I find it interesting that the audience is Evangelicals. It’s hardly a massive shift but if you’ve been paying attention cracks have appeared in the once solid Evangelical wall of support for Trump. What’s interesting is that some of it seems from the grassroots but a handful of leaders have also spoken up criticizing Trump. And saying they can and should choose someone better to support. So put a pin in that as we get to actual time to vote.
For the moment we have this onetime nobody lawyer who Trump thought had a good TV presence. Whether she’s “hot” is a matter of individual tasted but she’s blond & blue and Trump no doubt thought that since she “gave good TV” AND was an actual lawyer who supported him he brought her onboard for the execution of the Big Lie strategy. She was quite willing, eager even to be part of all that back then. Clearly she doesn’t think it was such a great idea now. She’s looking at loss of her license to practice law and even freedom for having gone “all-in” on Trump. Now she wants nothing to do with him.
That’s why I find this whole business with what she said on her show and the forum that carries her show pretty interesting. American Family radio signed up Ellis last December. She’s not exactly been walking/talking in step with Team Trump for a while now so the back and forth she had on he show yesterday with Steve Deace, another RWNJ host couldn’t have been a surprise to Ellis’ bosses. According to the linked article Deace stated:
“Before that man [Trump] needs to be president again … [to] escape the quote-unquote, ‘witch-hunts’, that man needs Jesus again because … his ambitions would be fueled by showing some self-awareness. And he won’t do it because he can’t admit, ‘I’m not God.’”
Ellis responded he’d perfectly articulated how she as a voter felt, going on to note how she’d known Trump and well as a former boss and friend. And “I have great love and respect for him personally.” To which I say WTF? because Ellis then goes on to say:
“But everything that you just said resonates with me as exactly why I simply can’t support him for elected office again. Why I have chosen to distance is because of that, frankly, malignant narcissistic tendency to simply say that he’s never done anything wrong.
She then criticizes “idolatry” she sees and that it’s troubling to see Trump supporters but him above the Constitution, the country and conservative principles. She goes on to say:
“And I think that we do need to, as Americans and as conservatives and particularly as Christians, take this very seriously and understand where are we putting our vote.”
This, is from one of Trump’s Georgia co-defendants and someone who not only had a front tow seat for the election denial criming but took active part. If he hasn’t already been told Trump will hear about this. Keep in mind he’s not paying for Ellis’ defense. Hell, she’s gone to crowdfunding to cover he legal costs! I don’t know about you but I’m thinking that if Trump had sat down with her and picked out a mutually agreeable lawyer and covered the tab Ellis wouldn’t be talking like this. She’d still be wearing the rose orange colored glasses.
This is why I wrote the headline I did. Trump faces a dilemma. His instinct will be to savagely attack Ellis and behind the scenes anyone including her lawyer(s) that tries to help her. That of course would make her all the more receptive to overtures from Fani Willis. Trump’s other choice would be the “Coffee Boy/Girl” defense, as in he sort of remembers her hanging around but she was never part of any real, meaningful “advisory” talks. That would be the smart play. However it’s hard to imagine Trump not giving in to the urge to punch back, especially since he’d get to “punch down” so keep an eye on this.
More importantly, it will be worth keeping an eye on how all this is received by all those Evangelical listeners that make up American Family Radio’s audience. If they start raising hell then Ellis is pretty much screwed. However, if the reaction is at worth mild then things get really interesting. Keep in mind that Trump won’t be going on trial in GA until sometimes in 2024. But the judge in that case is making it clear Trump will be on trial there before the GOP convention. A motions hearing is set for Dec. and part of it will be setting a trial date. In the meantime that leaves a good couple of months for Ellis to gauge the reaction from her listeners. If they don’t call for her head on a platter the it opens up a possibility for her.
Ellis knows it’s just a matter of time before she’s disbarred. She’s going to need a steady job. IF she can count on something long-term with American Family Radio and supplement her income with some guest gigs on TV and speaking engagements then her incentive to turn on Trump and cut a deal with Fulton County DA Willis will be greatly enhanced. Willis now has the same gift of time to evaluate how willing Ellis would be to a deal and what kind of terms to offer.
This might seem a minor news blurb that no one will think about by the end of the weekend. However it just might turn into something quite significant. Stay tuned.
The loyalty of thieves holds together only as long as their common interests do. Those days are over. Major prison time of the proud boys and oath keepers apparently has gotten some people’s attention.