Trump Easter Message 'Very Nice,' Insists Adviser Amid Criticism It Was Angry, Resentful
Hogan Gidley, adviser to former President Donald Trump, appeared on Fox News Sunday morning to defend a series of Easter statements from Trump that his critics have accused of being political rants capped off with a friendly holiday salutation.
A Friday message from Trump's Save America PAC railed against "election fraud" and "radical left CRAZIES" before finally concluding with the salutation: "Other than that, Happy Easter!" But just hours later, likely responding to journalists and other criticisms over the seemingly resentful message, Trump issued another statement that succinctly wished "all" Americans a happy Easter. Fox News' Howard Kurtz pressed Gidley to address critics who said Trump is unable to let go of old political spats, even just to wish Americans a happy Easter weekend.
"A lot of criticism there of the tone that he almost sounds a bit angry about what happened," Kurtz remarked to the Trump adviser.
Gidley has long defended Trump on cable news networks from any and all criticism, particularly in regards to the former president's demeanor while in the White House.
"What are you talking about?" asked an incredulous sounding Gidley. "He's wishing happy Easter to everybody, even the ones who attacked him and don't like him and don't want him to be in office."
"The president was very clear," Gidley continued. "Happy Easter to you all, too. We know you don't like America, we know you think this country is the cause of the world's problems and we're racists and we're sexists and we're bigoted and we're homophobic as a nation, even though millions of people want to come here and they're literally dying to do that—we understand!"
Trump's Save America PAC message early Sunday read: "Happy Easter to ALL, including the Radical Left CRAZIES who rigged our Presidential Election, and want to destroy our Country!"
Trump's third and final message pertaining to the Christian holiday weekend went out from his office's email around 1 p.m. Eastern time, simply reading: "Happy Easter!"
"But the president is being very nice!" Gidley added. "Happy Easter to you, too."
"Hogan, happy Easter to you as well," Kurtz said to end the segment.
Newsweek reached out to the former president's office, which regularly issues statements to the press despite being out of the White House for several weeks.
The former president has also spoken out recently against Major League Baseball and corporations that have criticized Georgia's new and controversial voting legislation. In a statement Saturday released by his former senior legal advisor Jenna Ellis, Trump said: "It is finally time for Republicans and Conservatives to fight back—we have more people than they do—by far! Boycott Major League Baseball (MLB), Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, ViacomCBS, Citigroup, Cisco, UPS, and Merck."
