Former Biden spokesman draws ire from liberals for defending Trump’s comments on upcoming election

Former Biden White House communications director Kate Bedingfield sparked outrage among liberals by explaining Donald Trump’s remarks that Christians would no longer need to vote after 2024 by saying he was saying future elections don’t matter because he won’t be on the ballot, not calling for the end of democracy.

“I realize this is going to make me angry with a lot of Democrats, but… I don’t think he’s saying here that there won’t be another election. I think he’s saying I won’t be on the ticket anyway, so who cares. Which is horribly damning in and of itself, because that’s why the Republican Party turned around and destroyed its credibility — to become an endorsement account for this horrible, narcissistic guy,” Bedingfield wrote on X, in response to a clip of Trump’s speech.

Trump spoke Friday at the Believers Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, and was criticized by liberals for saying: “Christians, go out and vote, but this time. You don’t have to anymore. … You have to go out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote anymore. We’ll have fixed this so you don’t have to vote anymore.”

Bedingfield, a CNN political commentator, was called out in several responses to her original post, saying Trump should never benefit from the doubt.

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Some have accused her of “minimizing” her statements.

Bedingfield followed up with two more social media posts.

“I am in no way minimizing January 6th or the threats Trump poses to democracy as he continually attempts to undermine confidence in our elections. They are real. I am simply saying that what he is telling us here is WHY he doesn’t care about this country — because he only cares about himself,” she said in a subsequent message.

Appearing to respond to those who suggested she was giving Trump the benefit of the doubt, Bedingfield insisted she was not.

“I’m not defending him or giving him the benefit of the doubt. In my tweets, I’ve called him a horrible, narcissistic man who is a threat to democracy. But part of the way we win that victory is by convincing people who aren’t already convinced. And telling them why he’s a threat — because he only cares about himself — is more convincing than just saying he’s a threat. This is good evidence of that,” she said.

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Kate Bedingfield explained what she thought Donald Trump was saying during a speech in Florida on Friday. (Left: (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images), Right: (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images))

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a Senate candidate in California, responded to his remarks about X, saying, “This year, democracy is on the agenda, and if we want to save it, we have to vote against authoritarianism. Trump is a helpful reminder that the alternative is never getting the chance to vote again.”

“The only way you don’t have to vote anymore is if Donald Trump becomes a dictator,” said Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y.

Conservatives like Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, suggested he was joking.

“I think he’s obviously making a joke about how bad things were under Joe Biden, and how much better they will be if we put President Trump back in the White House so we can fix the country,” Cotton said in an interview on CNN.

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Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., called the comment “Trumpism.”

“I think he’s just trying to make the point that this problem is solvable. You know, obviously, we want everybody to vote in every election. But I think he was just trying to make a hyperbolic point that it’s solvable as long as he gets back in office and all that. But, you know, that’s classic Trump,” he continued.