University of California law professor Orin Kerr is an academic, not a campaign advisor, but like many non-MAGA Americans he is confounded by the continued support former President Donald Trump enjoys in the polls.
Kerr, a graduate of Stanford University, Princeton University, and Harvard Law School, can’t understand Trump’s enduring populist appeal — undented, it seems, by 91 criminal charges. The law professor believes, despite ample evidence, that if Trump’s loyalists only knew the truth about Trump’s real goals and actions, they might see the light.
This revelatory light, in Kerr’s opinion, is best shined by former Trump insiders who’ve strayed from the MAGA mission — and expressed unequivocal concerns that Trump is no less than a danger to the United States.
He cites the example of John Kelly, 4-Star General and Trump’s longest serving Chief of Staff, who has said Trump’s popularity is “beyond my comprehension” after what he saw Trump do.
I continue to think that a video spot with Trump's former top officials urging people not to vote for him is at least worth a try. Might have no effect, but it's still worth trying. https://t.co/f3dHz14T7B pic.twitter.com/jJJzcZcL5c
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) November 20, 2023
Kerr thinks — or more aptly hopes — that testimony from this group, and it is not a small bunch, could break through Trump’s hold on his public.
Following up, Kerr actually published a draft script for the attack ad he thinks would be effective in an expected Biden-Trump rematch.
Something like:
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) November 20, 2023
"I'm _____. I'm a lifelong conservative and a lifelong Republican. I believed in Donald Trump, and I served him as Secretary of _____ for __ years. I worked with him every day. And I have really bad news; no one should vote for him again. He doesn't care…
Kerr proposes calling the ad spot “Anyone But Him.”
It might be a very long and expensive ad, as the casting call could go out to: Bill Barr, Mike Pence, Betsy DeVos, Kelly, John Bolton, Eric Herschmann, B.J. Pak, Chris Christie (though he is making his own such ads daily), Bill Stepien, Jim Mattis, Gary Cohn, Omarosa Manigault, Stephanie Grisham, Alyssa Farrah Griffin, H.R. McMaster, Rex Tillerson and more.
Notably, Dr. Anthony Fauci is also on the list of people who worked with Trump and were praised by him before being excoriated in a pique of political gamesmanship. The certain ineffectiveness of any testimony by Fauci to sway a single Trump voter’s opinion illustrates the challenge inherent in Kerr’s idea.
Call it the "anyone but him" spot, with "anyone but him" appearing for the first few seconds against a black background before the interviews begin.
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) November 20, 2023
Ok, back to 4th Amendment law. 🙂
