Ex-Pence Staffer Recalls a Trump-Haley Oval Office Memory That Left Her ‘In Shock’: “Never Forgotten”

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.

Olivia Troye, a former Mike Pence aide, recently revealed on Johanna Maska's Press Advance podcast an odd Oval Office event between former President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. As the Trump-Haley relationship comes under increased examination, this revelation becomes even more significant in light of Troye's past charges of Trump's inappropriate behavior with women throughout his time in office.

Troye, who was an advisor to former Vice President Pence, revealed on the show that she vividly recalls Trump's farewell to Haley in October 2018, per HuffPost. Unlike Trump's customary brag, Haley received a rare appreciation from the then-president as she resigned from her position as US ambassador to the United Nations. She said that Haley was "probably the only person that I can think of in the administration that got a laudatory farewell in the Oval Office."

"I've never forgotten that moment," Troye said, expressing her disbelief at Trump's surprising praise for Haley. The former Pence aide also emphasized her admiration for Haley at the time and voiced surprise at the president's unusual actions.

"Everyone’s forgotten that one, and I sat there watching in shock," Troye said. She added, "I had tremendous respect for her at the time. I worked with her a lot because at the time I had the U.N. portfolio for Pence. And I remember watching that moment with disbelief. Like, wow! He’s just exacting praise and she’s sitting here yucking it up in the Oval. I think that speaks to something there."

Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary, agreed with Troye, stating that Trump had never publicly disparaged Haley and that Haley "fit his profile just fine. An attractive woman always dressed quite well. Nice figure. That type of a thing. So I don’t remember him telling a negative thing about her and I think it’s because she fit his profile."

Previously, two former Trump staffers, including Troye, accused the ex-president of inappropriate behavior with women while in office. According to Troye, Trump's behavior was an open secret among senior White House workers. This information is consistent with the testimony of other former staff members, Grisham and Alyssa Farah Griffin, who accused Trump of a habit of inappropriate behavior.

The charges come after a jury found Trump responsible for sexually abusing and defaming journalist E. Jean Carroll. While the jury rejected Carroll's rape charges, they found Trump accountable for sexual assault and awarded her $5 million. Trump described the ruling as "a disgrace."

Farah Griffin claimed the existence of "countless" incidents of wrongdoing in a CNN appearance, which she reported to Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, claiming that the way Trump "engaged with women was dangerous." Troye reiterated these thoughts, stating that Trump freely made inappropriate remarks, even during official sessions. The former Pence assistant particularly mentioned Trump's interest in a younger staffer, which created concerns in the White House.