Former Trump Official Claims Trump Is Keeping His Radical Views Hidden While Running for Office

According to HuffPost, William Wolfe, a self-professed Christian nationalist who held positions under Donald Trump, including deputy assistant secretary of defense at the Pentagon and director of legislative affairs at the State Department, made comments on Thursday. Speaking on X Spaces, a live audio chat room on the platform formerly known as Twitter, Wolfe claimed that Trump was concealing his true, radical beliefs during his campaign. Wolfe also suggested that a second Trump administration would witness him governing more conservatively and aggressively.

Wolfe was one of the participants in a gathering organized by The Sentinel (a far-right digital media platform) to deliberate on Trump's views on abortion. The panelists expressed apprehension over Trump's public disapproval of the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling upholding a law from 1864 that prohibits almost all abortions in the state. They were also unsettled by Trump's statement that he wouldn't back a federal abortion ban. Chiming in, Wolfe contended that Trump is concealing his true stance on various issues, including abortion.

Wolfe said, “I actually think there’s wisdom in cloaking some of your power levels and maybe some of the things that you’re trying to do, and then once you secure power, and you have it, you govern in a more extreme position. I think Trump is one of the first Republican candidates I’ve ever seen in my lifetime who has done that.” 'Power levels' is a widely used term that denotes the extent of a person's extremism or radical views. It is commonly used when individuals are advised to conceal their true beliefs when integrating into mainstream conservative or Republican groups.

Wolfe continued, “I am confident with the people that I see lining up to be with Trump in a second term that regardless of what the rhetoric looks like during this campaign season, that he would actually govern more conservatively and aggressively in the White House." He added, “That’s something that I think we need to be comfortable with and maybe we should use ― maybe even some other conservative Republicans out there who want to run for office and gain power and use it to do radical scary conservative things should consider doing.” 

Wolfe also spoke about the Biden administration being 'ruthless'. He said, “They will utilize the crushing and deadly power of the federal government, the national security apparatus, and the deep state to destroy you and your family without remorse." As reported by US News, abortion is expected to be a contentious issue in the 2024 election, particularly after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively eliminating the nationwide right to abortion. Republicans are facing challenges in addressing this issue, with former President and 2024 candidate Trump having held varying positions on abortion over the years.