Trump Wanted Power To ‘Kill’ Whoever Spoke Against Him: Grisham

Former President Donald Trump wanted the power to “kill” anyone who spoke out against him, ex-White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham has revealed.

Grisham made the remarks during an appearance on “The View” on Tuesday. Asked about Trump's impression of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Grisham said it was clear that Trump both feared and admired Putin’s ability to silence any dissent.

"Honestly, I think he feared him. I think he was afraid of him. I think the man intimidated him," she said. “I also think he admired him greatly," Grisham added. "I think he wanted to be able to kill whoever spoke out against him."

The former press secretary said that Trump admired the dictators he had met during his trips abroad throughout his four years as the United States president.

"In my experience with him, again, I'll just say — he loved the dictators. He loved the people who could kill anyone, including the press," Grisham added.

The Russian president has faced a number of accusations over the past years for using violence against critics. Since 2017, at least 10 Putin critics have died violently or under suspicious circumstances, according to The Washington Post. Kremlin has repeatedly denied the notion of political killings, calling the accusations against Putin “absurd.”

Grisham was also asked about what Trump would do if the U.S. was in a similar situation as Ukraine.

"I just want to say this. In watching all of this, with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy — Donald Trump would be 57 feet below ground hiding. And Zelenskyy is out there fighting for his country, and I just think that's great," she said.

Trump has been the subject of criticism after he had previously praised Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, calling the Russian leader “savvy” and “genius.” On Feb. 24, Trump also released a statement where he claimed Putin was playing President Joe Biden “like a drum.”

The former president later reversed course, comparing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to a “holocaust” and calling for the end of the conflict.

Grisham is one of the dozens of former Trump officials looking to thwart Trump during the 2022 midterm elections and 2024 presidential elections.