- Haley Lynn
- Jun. 22, 2023
Walt Nauta, a Navy veteran who served loyally under Donald Trump, has found himself in an unfortunate predicament. Rather than simply being a dedicated member of Trump's staff, Nauta is now facing legal consequences as a co-defendant alongside the former president. It's difficult not to sympathize with him.
Nauta could have potentially avoided the six federal criminal charges against him, which could result in many years of imprisonment, if he had chosen to cooperate with federal prosecutors. By assisting them in building a case against Trump for the alleged theft and concealment of classified documents, he might have been able to secure a better outcome. However, Nauta has decided not to cooperate, making him a figure deserving of empathy despite his actions.
According to the indictment, Nauta, under the orders of his former commander in chief, dutifully moved boxes containing classified materials around Mar-a-Lago to conceal them from investigators, even keeping them hidden from Trump's lawyer. Additionally, he lied to the FBI about his involvement. Nauta's misplaced loyalty places him among a long list of individuals, both famous and unknown, whose lives have been disrupted in some way by Trump's egotistical behavior.
Some of these individuals, like Nauta, worked for Trump, occupying positions both high and low, only to find themselves entangled in legal or ethical dilemmas or publicly humiliated if they resisted Trump's plans. Few emerged unscathed from their association with him, including Cabinet secretaries and press secretaries. Some even faced imprisonment, such as Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen and the longtime chief financial officer of his company, Allen Weisselberg.
Others who fell victim to Trump's actions didn't work directly for him, but in Trump's mind, everyone was under his influence. Election administrators across the country during the 2020 election became targets of Trump's verbal attacks, followed by death threats from his supporters, when they contested his baseless claims of election fraud. Bill Gates, a lifelong Republican serving on Arizona's Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, now struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ruby Freeman, a Black election volunteer in Georgia, testified before the House Jan. 6 committee and spoke about the racist attacks she and her daughter endured after Trump falsely accused them of voter fraud. She posed a question to the committee: "Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States target you?"
Some individuals became targets of Trump's heartless attacks simply for criticizing him, such as the Gold Star parents whose Muslim son, an Army captain, died in Iraq. They objected to Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric. Other victims were mere pawns in Trump's political games, like the thousands of migrant children separated from their families at the border. Even today, around a thousand of these children remain without reunification with their relatives, years later.
Setting aside policy differences and Trump's tendency to bend or break the law when it suited him, his cruelty and willingness to use people for his own gain remain the most compelling arguments against his fitness for the presidency. He showed no regard for the well-being of others or their families, displaying selfish malice towards countless individuals, often without any justification.
The presidency has never witnessed someone like Trump before, and it should never do so again.
A simple internet search using phrases like "For Trump, loyalty is a one-way street" or "Donald Trump" and "throw you under the bus" — both popular sayings used by estranged associates — yields millions of results spanning multiple years, including recent articles related to Nauta.
Even Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and an ex-convict who speaks from personal experience, has used both of these phrases. Cohen expressed disappointment that Nauta didn't cooperate with prosecutors to potentially save himself from jail time. He remarked, "Loyalty, to Donald Trump, is like 1st Avenue in Manhattan: one way." During an appearance on MSNBC, Cohen addressed Nauta directly, looking into the camera and advising him, "Run as fast as you can, my friend ... because Donald Trump will throw you under the bus faster than you could possibly imagine."
Another former Trump lawyer, Ty Cobb, also expressed sympathy for Nauta. He stated, "I'd be shocked if Trump said 10 words a day to him," and added that two of those words would not be "Thank you."
Following Trump and Nauta's indictment, the former president praised his valet and accused the FBI and the Justice Department of attempting to ruin his life, along with the lives of many others.
Once again, Trump was projecting his own behavior onto others.
