Donald Trump’s Own Cabinet Hates Him (Or at Least They Used To)

A review of dastardly quotes of Trump cabinet members and Republican lawmakers against the very man they have sworn allegiance to.

By: Austin Abbring

May 17, 2026

It is no secret that Donald Trump’s rhetoric has been divisive for well over a decade. This is the man who entered politics proclaiming that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, rather than the United States, with no evidence. You could just tell where we were headed from there. Over the course of this Trump era, there has been an interesting development among prominent Republicans. There have been dozens who have rightfully called Trump out as the snake oil salesman he is, yet fall in line. Donald Trump treats politics as purely transactional to feed his narcissism. Along the way, he has ruffled the feathers of many of his own constituents. Let us review some of those quotes.

J.D. Vance

I want to start with the most compelling case study: Vice President J.D. Vance. He perfectly embodies what the Republican Party is all about under Trump, and that is complete capitulation at the altar of opportunism. It is all about advancing their own agenda or further entrenching themselves, via any mechanism possible, with more power. Vance is clearly setting himself up for a 2028 presidential run. He is also in a perfect position now, given that Trump is the oldest elected president in United States history. However, J.D. Vance's acceptance of a spot on Donald Trump's ticket is fascinating, given his past sound bites. 

Here is one from 2016, while he was on book tour for “Hillbilly Elegy”, “I’m a never-Trump guy. I never liked him.”

Another damning quote from an op-ed Vance wrote for The New York Times: “Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.” (Politico)

The worst of all will have the right-wing sphere scratching their heads. Republicans are quick to point to The Left for discourse comparing Trump to Hitler. Look no further than J.D. Vance, who had no trouble doing the same in the past. Vance, in a message to a classmate, explained, “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler.” (Reuters) 

Any sensible person with a spine would not change so drastically in such a short time unless there are some ulterior motives. It is quite clear that J.D. Vance is spineless and power hungry.

Marco Rubio

Next up to the plate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Here is another person who I believe has presidential ambitions in the next election cycle. Rubio ran for the Republican nomination in 2016, but ultimately lost to Donald Trump. Rubio did not mince words: “But there is a much, much more important issue at hand here: Donald Trump is a serious threat to the future of our party, and our country. I, like you, probably hoped and believed that our fellow Americans would see his cons for what they are, that slogans, celebrity, and tough-talking insults are not enough.” 

There is that, or “Trump doesn’t take many clear policy positions, but when he does, they’re just as scary.” (The American Presidency Project). Are these just harsh words as a then political opponent, or an attempt to stoke smoke signals into the sky, warning us all about the danger that lies ahead within the Republican Party?

Ted Cruz

Another 2015 and 2016 rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Senator Ted Cruz, sparred with Donald Trump. Like J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio, Senator Cruz has come to heel. You may be starting to sense a pattern. Of course, the famous line is generated around Ted Cruz calling Donald Trump a “snivelling coward”. This in response to Trump’s remarks about Cruz’s wife. I do not give Ted Cruz credit for anything, except for at least fighting back and standing up for his wife. I must then remove any credit I might have given Cruz for his submission and ultimate endorsement of Trump in the primary, as he remains a very close Trump ally to the present day. 

There are two quotes I would rather highlight here, in which Cruz sounded off on Trump during his campaign while in Indiana. “I say pathological [in reference to Trump lying] because I actually think Donald, if you hooked him up to a lie detector test, he could say one thing in the morning, one thing at noon and one thing in the evening, all contradictory, and he’d pass the lie detector test each time. Whatever lie he’s telling, at that minute he believes it, but the man is utterly amoral.” Ted would then continue, “He combines [dishonesty] with being a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country’s ever seen…”. (Politico (2))

Much like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz could sense the danger in a Donald Trump-led Republican Party. It is alarming how easily Vance, Cruz, and Rubio can make a 180-degree turn on their “principles”. I would challenge folks on the right to find anything comparable among Democratic lawmakers and presidential-elect hopefuls. You would have trouble discovering a time when Kamala Harris described Joe Biden as “America’s Hitler”, called him a pathological narcissistic liar, and then agreed to run on the presidential ticket with him.

Former Cabinet Members

There is no surprise to discover that dozens of Trump’s cabinet members from his first term would not endorse him in his second bid for President. The first Trump administration experienced record-high turnover in this area. NBC attempted to reach out to 44 former cabinet members and high-ranking officials, and only 4 expressed support for Trump in this most recent election. (NBC)

Here are a few of those staff members' quotes following their work closely advising Trump:

Alyssa Farah Griffin, the former White House communications director, said in an interview, “Fundamentally, a second Trump term could mean the end of American democracy as we know it, and I don’t say that lightly.” 

Bill Barr, former attorney general, said of Trump, “[He] is a consummate narcissist who constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk and the conservative and Republican agenda at risk.”

John Kelly, who was Trump’s former chief of staff, explained, “Trump is a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. He has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.” (PBS)

Now, while all of these quotes may be too little, too late, as our democracy has corroded under Donald Trump’s leadership, especially in this second term, I believe it is imperative that we do not forget how ineffective these current cabinet members are in preserving our democracy. When Vance, Rubio, or even Senator Cruz make their bids for the Republican nomination in 2028, force these craven men to answer why they turned their backs on their own words, principles, and failed millions of Americans in this country’s hour of need. When our systems, checks and balances, and agencies were assailed, and when our allies drifted away from us, they were too conciliatory to even recognise their past selves. Instead, they exchanged our country’s image for personal gain. Never let them move on from that.