“He would say, ‘No one loves Black people more than me,’ ” a former senior White House official said. But he might be.”White House officials vigorously dispute such characterizations. A former official said that others involved in the effort included Trump adviser Hope Hicks and former White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Darren Beattie worked as a White House speechwriter before leaving abruptly when CNN reported his involvement in a conference frequented by white nationalists. Trump’s comments set off what some in the White House came to regard as a behind-the-scenes struggle for the moral character of his presidency.

Source: Washington Post September 23, 2020 14:38 UTC