Dr. Fiona Hill, a former U.S. national security official who testified against former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial, is expressing concern about the possibility of a Trump re-election and what it could mean for the United States.
Speaking with The Hill, Hill offered her take on Trump's actions to overturn the 2020 presidential election, describing it as a "slow-moving coup." She also noted that if he were to win again, it would "on the back of a big lie."
"He could win again. And it will be — if he does, it will be on the back of a big lie and on an awful lot of efforts to suppress the vote and the turnout," said Hill. "And, you know, I'm sure that any election or electoral count that doesn't go his way is challenged."
"Just one constitutional crisis after another," she continued. "I mean, we're in for a wild ride. We're already in it. The slow-moving coup, you know, didn't really culminate in Jan. 6. I just see this as an episode in one long continuum. It's just a different kind of coup now because he's technically out of office but, in his view, he's not out of power."
Hill, who worked as the senior director for European and Russian affairs on the Trump administration's National Security Council, recalled her time working for the former president. While she doesn't regret being part of the Trump administration, she does wish she had done more research before taking the position. But Hill insists she had a legitimate reason for working in the Trump White House.
"It was a return to public service. It wasn't something I was seeking out, but I felt really strongly I needed to do something," Hill said. "It's like your house is on fire."
"And look, it came at great personal cost," she continued. "I didn't do this lightly. And I have people who still don't speak to me and still write me nasty grams about doing it. But I thought it was worth doing, and I still do."
Now, Hill has joined the number of former Trump administration officials who have books with incriminating details about his turbulent four years in office. Hill's book, "There Is Nothing for You Here," details her earlier years in the U.K. and her time working for the Trump White House.
After previously working for the National Intelligence Council under both the Bush and Obama administrations, Hill outlined how the Trump administration differed from previous presidential cabinets.
"The Trump administration was not a Republican administration. It was just so dramatically different from the administration around George W. Bush," she said.
"There is no continuity there. Trump is not a Republican, he's just one of these one-off characters," Hill added. "He's not part of the party. He hijacked the party."
