White House principal deputy press secretary, Raj Shah, called President Donald Trump ‘a deplorable’ and referred to the release of the Access Hollywood tape as ‘some justice’, before he joined the Trump administration.
According to private messages obtained and verified by New York Magazine, Shah also asked a colleague at the Republican National Committee to dig up an old video clip of Trump that shortly afterward showed up in a Jeb Bush commercial.
Shah, 33, has been much more visible in recent week, appearing on TV to speak on behalf of the White House.
However, the messages show that many who work for the president at point have expressed contempt for him – and sometimes still do.
White House principal deputy press secretary, Raj Shah (pictured, January 2018), called President Donald Trump ‘a deplorable’ and referred to the release of the Access Hollywood tape as ‘some justice’, before he joined the Trump administration
According to private messages obtained and verified by New York Magazine, Shah also asked a colleague at the Republican National Committee to dig up an old video clip of Trump that shortly afterward showed up in a Jeb Bush commercial (Pictured, Trump and Melania in Washington, DC, on Monday)
In the Access Hollywood tape from 2005, Trump (pictured, left, with actress Arianne Zucker and Access Hollywood host Billy Busg) was heard describing groping and kissing women without their consent
In one slew of messages, Shah contacted Andrew Hemming, a senior RNC researcher, hours after the Washington Post published the Access Hollywood tape in October 2016.
Trump was heard describing groping and kissing women without their consent in the 2005 tape.
‘When you’re a star, they let you do it,’ Trump is heard saying on the tape to host Billy Bush. ‘Grab the, bu the p***y. You can do anything.’
He apologized for the remarks after the hot-mic recording was released, calling them ‘locker room’ talk.
At 10.57pm , Shah wrote: ‘[You] wanna hear something a little f****d up?’
Hemming responded: ‘Sure.’
‘I’m kinda enjoying this, some justice. I honestly don’t think it’s the worst thing he’s done but he somehow got passes for the other acts,’ Shah wrote before adding: ‘Trump is a deplorable.’
In another email, from December 2015, it contained a 2008 CNN transcript in which Trump speaks positively of then-president-elect Barack Obama and describes his decision to make Hillary Clinton secretary of State ‘a great appointment.’
Shah asked for footage of the interview from Hemming and warned him to be cautious and not to use an official RNC email while discussing the topic.
‘Nothing on GOP mail,’ he wrote.
Three days later, on the seven-year anniversary of the CNN interview, the Jeb Bush campaign released a 15-second ad titled ‘Happy Anniversary, Donald!’ It featured the clip Shah had requested.
Shah asked for footage of an interview of Trump praising then-president-elect Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from RNC colleague Andrew Hemming (pictured) and warned him to be cautious and not to use an official RNC email while discussing the topic
Three days later, on the seven-year anniversary of the CNN interview, the Jeb Bush campaign released a 15-second ad titled ‘Happy Anniversary, Donald!’ It featured the clip Shah had requested (Pictured, Trump and Melania in Washington, DC, on Monday_
Hemming refused a request to comment, but didn’t deny the legitimacy of the messages.
Like Shah, Hemming left the RNC to work in the Trump White House, as the director of rapid response, which included sending positive stories about the president to the press. He left in August, which the White House said was a ‘mutual’ decision.
Shah also declined to comment. White House communications director Hope Hicks wrote in a statement to New York Magazine:
‘Raj Shah is a talented operative and skilled communicator. We have always known about his previous roles and are so pleased he is using his unparalleled capabilities to advance the agenda of President Trump, whom he has tremendous respect for.
‘Perhaps if the leakers trying to undermine him were as talented and smart as Raj, they would be here fighting for the American people every day, rather than trying desperately to remain relevant by spreading information that Raj himself shared many months ago. Raj’s skills as a press secretary are only surpassed by his stellar character.’