After being given a second probability by American voters, it appears President Donald J. Trump is extending the grace by reportedly appointing a once-fired speechwriter named Darren Beattie.
Trump tapped Beattie to function the Below Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. In his position, Beattie is accountable for “lead[ing] America’s public diplomacy outreach” associated to counterterrorism and violent extremism, based on the State Division web site. And right here’s the kicker…
Simply six years in the past, Beattie was fired from his position as Trump’s speechwriter beneath scandalous circumstances. However similar to the president, who was convicted of 34 felonies lower than a yr in the past, Beattie has been awarded a do-over.
Beattie, a former Duke College professor, first fell beneath scrutiny after CNN revealed he spoke at a convention attended by White nationalists. The convention in query— named The Mencken Membership after the twentieth century journalist identified for spewing racism— is an annual perform, and in 2016, Beattie made a particular look.
“In 2016 I attended the Mencken convention in query and delivered a stand-alone, tutorial discuss titled ‘The Intelligentsia and the Proper.’ I stated nothing objectionable and stand by my remarks fully,” Beattie advised CNN’s KFile in an e-mail following the CNN report. However regardless of Beattie’s plea of innocence, he was canned by the Trump Administration in 2018.
“It was the respect of my life to serve within the Trump Administration,” he stated. “I really like President Trump, who’s a fearless American hero, and proceed to help him 100%.” It appears like his help for the forty fifth and now-Forty seventh president labored in his favor, as he has now been promoted to a high State Division job.
Beattie’s been a MAGA supporter for the reason that very starting, and even after the president fired him, his help by no means faltered. In actual fact, after the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, beattie claimed the FBI was accountable, based on NBC Information.
However wait… there’s extra. Beattie additionally has an extended documented historical past of inflammatory and divisive statements— which paradoxically doesn’t fairly align together with his new job title. In October 2024, he took to X claiming that “Competent white males have to be in cost in order for you issues to work.” He continued writing “our complete nationwide ideology relies on coddling the sentiments of ladies and minorities, and demoralizing competent white males.”
He referred to as Trump’s current efforts inserting all federal DEI workers “Wonderful,” and Beattie stated Trump’s pardon of all Jan. 6 rioters “Lovely information.” In 2020, he even wrote that “‘Shithole international locations’ was the high-point of Trumps presidency.”
Beattie’s appointment has already sparked excessive criticism from leaders. Political analyst and creator Van Jones referred to as the matter “shameless and despicable.”