OVERCOMPENSATING

Trump’s Ex-Chief of Staff Says He’s ‘Scared Shitless’ Over Indictment

“He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this,” John Kelly said. “For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable.”

Even after a damning 37-count indictment landed him in a Miami federal courthouse, where he pleaded not guilty to allegedly mishandling classified documents, former President Donald Trump seems to be keeping his spirits high. On the day of his arraignment, he greeted fans at a Little Havana restaurant, delivered an impassioned post-arrest speech in New Jersey, and celebrated his 77th birthday. But the smiles and cheers are apparently all a front, according to his ex-chief of staff John Kelly. “He’s scared shitless,” Kelly told The Washington Post. “This is the way he compensates for that. He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this.” In his post-arraignment speech, Trump downplayed the indictment’s allegations—as he has been doing—and declared them “the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country.” “For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable,” Kelly said. “Up until this point in his life, it’s like, ‘I’m not going to pay you; take me to court.’ He’s never been held accountable before.”