After being put in jail for refusing to give up his sources in his investigations into election fraud, Gregg Phillips understands better than most what former President Donald Trump is going through.
On Thursday, Trump turned himself in to authorities in Fulton County, Ga., to face multiple charges of allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election.
"This is sort of a state-based mirror of the indictment that came down in D.C. from the president's special counsel," Phillips told 1819 News. "What they're alleging in both is that Trump didn't take the advice of people that they wanted him to … all these people telling him 'there was no fraud, there was no fraud.'
He continued, "The point of all this is that they're claiming that he should have listened to certain people. That's true in Georgia; they're saying he should have listened to Ben Rafflisburger, the Secretary of State. It's true D.C.; they're saying he should have listened to the Attorney General, Bill Barr."
Phillips said having a diverse cast of advisors who can present unique opinions on a subject is essential. In Trump's case, Phillips said he "stepped up" as a leader when he chose not to take Barr's advice.
"America elected a leader, President Trump, that had the ability and the courage to step toward that fire, as Andrew Brietbart used to say, and make the best decision that he could based on what was presented to him and what he knew to be true," Phillips said. "It's disgusting, anti-American and absolutely '1984' come to life that he would be held somehow accountable for discerning and for having courage and for making the right decision. And truth be told … as we've now learned, he was right."
According to Phillips, Democrats and those on the political left are "overplaying their hand" when it comes to indicting Trump and that it is inspiring otherwise non-political people to pick a side.
"I don't know what they really expect is going to happen… They're pushing a lot of those undecided [voters] toward Trump," Phillips said. "They are waking up the ones who don't care, the indifferents. They are indifferent to politics. And if you keep prodding them and poking them and helping them understand why they need to wake up, that's a death blow to whoever's doing that."
Erica Thomas contributed to this article.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com.
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