WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Former President Donald Trump's former deputy press secretary is not pulling any punches when it comes to criticizing Trump for his role in the January 6th riot, and calling out Republicans for what she refers to as cowardly behavior.
In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with In the News Now, Stark County, Ohio native Sarah Matthews, 28, opens up about what it was like to be inside the insurrection in 2021 and then be called to testify before Congress during the January 6th hearings in 2022.
In the more than 40-minute conversation, Matthews shares her take on why she believes Trump should be subject to a gag order in the D.C. case tied to January 6th, why he's running for president again, and why Trump running for re-election against current President Joe Biden again in 2024 would be "rematch from Hell."
Now working as a communications consultant, Matthews also rails against Republicans who refuse to acknowledge that the 2020 election was not stolen, explains who left her with no choice but to testify in the January 6th hearings, pinpoints the exact moment she realized she would become one of the first people to resign from Trump's administration following the deadly riot in Washington, D.C., and so much more.
Read on for excerpts from Matthews' no-holds-barred interview, and watch the full conversation in the player below:
ON THE LIMITED GAG ORDER IN TRUMP’S FEDERAL CRIMINAL CASE TIED TO JANUARY 6TH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Matthews: "I've always believed that Donald Trump got into the 2024 election because he wanted to be a political candidate so that he could spin all of these legal troubles that he knew were going to catch up to him. He could spin it as these are politically motivated and then say that it's a violation of his freedom of speech because he should be allowed to campaign and talk about these things with voters that he's trying to court.
"And so it all looks very orchestrated to me why he's running. And that is because I think that he knew that he was going to be facing these legal troubles and so I think this is the correct decision. We've seen what happens when Trump and his allies tweet out things or truth social things about people that he's upset with.
"I mean, the first people that come to mind were some of my fellow witnesses who testified before the January 6th committee, Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman. These were the Georgia election poll workers who they said were part of some conspiracy where they were switching out ballots. None of it was true, but obviously the far right and online trolls ran with it and these conspiracies when there was no basis to them and it ruined these women's lives.
"They literally weren't able to leave their house. They were scared for their lives. They were getting death threats and basically had to become recluses. And so that is why this gag order is put in place, because Donald Trump doesn't care about how his words affect people and they have very real consequences and impact on people's lives. And so I think this is the correct decision.
"I think it's only a matter of time before he violates it. He can't help himself. And I'm curious to see what will happen when he does violate it and what actions and consequences there are for him."
ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A BIDEN-TRUMP REMATCH IN 2024
Matthews: "I think many Americans would agree with me with the sentiment that this is essentially the rematch from hell. No one wants to have these two old men running against each other again. I mean, look, Biden is 80, Trump is 77. And I can't believe that we're having this rematch. And I think that there are better options on both sides for people.
"But unfortunately, it looks like we're going to have a rematch. And I wish that Republicans would put up another option, because I think that if we ran anyone else against Joe Biden, our odds of winning would go up considerably. But I think if we run Donald Trump against Joe Biden, not only is Donald Trump a risk to democracy in my opinion, but I also think that he could risk losing to Joe Biden again.
"He's already done it once before. And I, I don't really want to see another Joe Biden presidency. But if Donald Trump's a nominee, then unfortunately, I don't think I'll have much of a choice in who I support and vote for. But I think a lot of people are really unhappy with the direction and current state of our country and the world and everything that's going on.
"I feel like putting Biden in office for another four years is a risk that we can't take. But it's a lose-lose scenario for a voter like me where I don't really want either option."
ON HAVING TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS DURING THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE HEARINGS
Matthews: "I had to testify because there were people who were higher ranking than me at the White House who knew way more than I did, but were too scared of Donald Trump or too concerned with their own ambition and job prospects to come forward and tell the truth. And so then it put myself and others in a position who were much younger than them to have to do that.
"I just think that any normal, sane person would have come forward after witnessing the events of January 6th and shared what they knew. But I guess that's Washington for you. More people are concerned with their own jobs and ambition."
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTIFYING BEFORE THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE, WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE NOT DOING, AND DONALD TRUMP’S LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INSURRECTION
Matthews: "When I resigned from the White House, I was 25 years old. When I testified before Congress, I was 27 years old, and I felt like I had my whole career ahead of me. And this was just altering that course very quickly. And I knew that this was a decision that was going to impact me and my career prospects.
"I knew that it was going to impact me financially because hiring lawyers is really expensive. And then I knew that speaking out against Trump world in a such a wide platform like that would put a target on my back and sign me up for harassment and threats and vitriol. And and that's what's really scary to know that you're facing that.
"I knew it was the right thing to do, despite all of my fears and concerns, because I felt like the American people deserve to hear the truth because a lot of Republicans were not telling them the truth, which was that January 6th was not just people coming in and touring the Capitol.
"They like to say that and whitewash the events of that day, or they like to say that, ‘Well, the election was stolen,’ or ‘It was fraudulent,’ or what have you. There's zero evidence of that. All of Trump's litigation failed, and he has never produced a single shred of evidence to support any of his election claims. He lost the election. And a lot of Republicans are not willing to say that. And a lot of Republicans are not willing to say that January 6th was a horrific day for our country and that Donald Trump caused it because of his refusal to accept the results of the election. Those people would not have been at the Capitol that day, if Donald Trump had not tweeted out that they should go.
"He was tweeting out in the weeks leading up that it was going to be a big day and all of those people were just listening to him and following his marching orders. So while it was a really big decision to go forward with testifying, I knew it was the right thing to do for the American people so that they could hear the truth from someone who was on the inside and working inside the Trump White House."
ON THE MOMENT SHE KNEW SHE WOULD RESIGN FROM TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION ON JANUARY 6TH
Matthews: "I knew I was going to resign when that video came out. When the president put out a video after we had seen all the riots and destruction and these folks fighting with police officers and attacking them, I remember thinking when he tweeted out this video response, ‘Hopefully he's going to say the right thing. Hopefully it will be the right message and he'll meet the moment.'
"And in that video, he said to these people that, ‘We love you, you're very special.’ And he was talking to the rioters who we had just watched deface our Capitol and brutally attack police officers and chant things like ‘Hang Mike Pence,’ his own Vice President. And that was the moment that I knew that I needed to resign and I wanted to make a statement.
"So I resigned that evening after informing my loved ones of my decision and then put out a statement urging the President for a peaceful transition of power."
Matthews is currently living in Washington, D.C. and working for a communications consulting firm. She says if she ever gets back into working with the Republican party, it will have to wait until after Trump is out of the political picture.
Haney is the digital anchor and legal analyst at 3News NBC in Cleveland, Ohio. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.