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Former Donald Trump Strategist: He’s Like ‘American Idol’ Alum Sanjaya Malakar!

Donald Trump and Sanjaya Malakar
Trump and Malakar. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images; Scott Gries/Getty Images

Full of regrets. Donald Trump’s former strategist Stephanie Cegielski is not a fan of the GOP presidential front-runner. Cegielski penned a scathing open letter about her ex employer, which was published on xoJane on Monday, March 28.

Cegielski didn’t mince words. In the column, she started off by claiming that not even Trump’s team expected him to do so well on the campaign trail.

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“Almost a year ago, recruited for my public relations and public policy expertise, I sat in Trump Tower being told that the goal was to get The Donald to poll in double digits and come in second in delegate count. That was it,” Cegielski wrote. “The Trump camp would have been satisfied to see him polling at 12% and taking second place to a candidate who might hold 50%. His candidacy was a protest candidacy.”

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Cegielski wanted Trump, 69, to be the “real deal,” and she even enjoyed his banter with FOX News’ Megyn Kelly. After all, it was a “manna from heaven for a communications director.” But soon, the mogul’s tactics and controversial comments hit a nerve.

“What was once Trump’s desire to rank second place to send a message to America and to increase his power as a businessman has nightmarishly morphed into a charade that is poised to do irreparable damage to this country if we do not stop this campaign in its tracks,” Cegielski wrote. “I’ll say it again: Trump never intended to be the candidate. But his pride is too out of control to stop him now.”

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She added: “He doesn’t want the White House. He just wants to be able to say that he could have run the White House. He’s achieved that already and then some. If there is any question, take it from someone who was recruited to help the candidate succeed, and initially very much wanted him to do so. The hard truth is: Trump only cares about Trump.”

Cegielski believes that Trump has no clue how to run the country, going as far as comparing him to American Idol season 6 alum Sanjaya Malakar. The singer made it all the way to seventh place out of 24 semi-finalists despite receiving brutal feedback from the judges for weeks back in 2007.

“It pains me to say, but he is the presidential equivalent of Sanjaya on American Idol. President Trump would be President Sanjaya in terms of legitimacy and authority,” Cegielski wrote. “And I am now taking full responsibility for helping create this monster — and reaching out directly to those voters who, like me, wanted Trump to be the real deal.”

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In fact, Cegielski revealed that Trump’s internal slogan isn’t even original. Besides “Make America Great Again,” Trump’s team slogan is “Let Trump Be Trump.” The line is “stolen” from Martin Sheen’s The West Wing character President Bartlet, who would tell his staff: “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet.”

Overall, working with Trump was like working with a “fictional character” who refused to take responsibility for his actions, according to Cegielski. She claimed that Trump would even blame an intern if a tweet he sent was received negatively. “Imagine Trump wronged you, even in the smallest possible way. He would go to the grave denying he had ever done anything wrong to you — ever,” she wrote. “No matter how many times he repeats it, Trump would not be the ‘best’ at being a president, being in shape, fighting terrorism, selling steaks, and whatever other ‘best’ claim he has made in the last 15 minutes. He would be the best at something, though. He is the best at looking out for Donald Trump — at all costs.”

To read more of Cegielski’s column, go here.

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