“Never in a Million Years”: Former Trump Officials Criticize His Disaster Response in New Ad

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has launched a new advertisement featuring two former officials from Donald Trump’s administration, highlighting their concerns over the former president’s approach to disaster relief. The ad stars Kevin Carroll, who served as a senior counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, and Olivia Troye, a former homeland security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence.

In the ad, Troye reflects on her experience working under Trump, expressing disbelief at his actions. “Never in a million years did I think that I’d be working in the White House with a president that didn’t care about the American people,” she says, emphasizing her disappointment.

Carroll and Troye detail an instance when Trump allegedly resisted providing disaster relief to California after a devastating wildfire. The reason, they claim, was because the state had voted overwhelmingly against him in the 2016 presidential election. Carroll states, “He would suggest not giving disaster relief to states that hadn’t voted for him,” underscoring the former president’s reported partisan approach.

Troye criticizes this behavior, asserting, “This isn’t normal. The job of the president is to protect Americans, regardless of politics.” She emphasizes that disaster relief should not be politicized, but instead should be a non-partisan response to help those in need.

Carroll further warns of the potential consequences if Trump were to be re-elected, stating, “There will be no one to stop his worst instincts.” He adds that “you’ll have yes-men help him implement Project 2025’s agenda: Unchecked power, no guardrails.”

This ad is part of a broader trend where former Trump officials have come forward to criticize his handling of disaster relief efforts. Recently, Mark Harvey, who served as Trump’s senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council staff, disclosed how he once convinced Trump to authorize aid for California by highlighting Republican voter concentrations in Orange County. Harvey’s account aligns with the portrayal by Carroll and Troye, suggesting a consistent pattern of political considerations influencing Trump’s decisions during his time in office.