Best-selling author and Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson responds to allegations that she abused staff during the 2020 presidential campaign after she recently launched her second bid for the highest position in the country.
She has built a career preaching love and forgiveness and has used it as the cornerstone for her second Democratic campaign for president. However, the people who have worked with her during her transition to the political scene argue that her persona is the complete opposite of her behavior.
Marianne Williamson's Alleged Temperament
A dozen interviewed people said that when they worked for Williamson's 2020 presidential campaign, she was verbally and emotionally abusive towards them. They added that the best-selling author, who is also a spiritual adviser, subjected her staff to unpredictable, explosive episodes of anger.
The people said that Williamson was sometimes cruel and demeaning to her staff, arguing that her behavior went far beyond the typical stress of a grueling presidential cycle. A former staffer who was kept anonymous said that the author's demeanor was comparable to a "foaming, spitting, uncontrollable rage," as per Politico.
They added that the incident was traumatic and simply "terrifying." Williamson is accused of throwing her phone at staffers. They added that her outbursts could become so loud that two former aides said there were at least four times when hotel staff knocked on her door to check on the situation.
At one point, Williamson became so angry about the logistics of a campaign trip to South Carolina that she argued it was poorly planned. She then pounded a car door until her hand began to swell. She ultimately had to go to an urgent care facility to treat her injury.
All 12 former staffers who were interviewed recollected moments when their former boss would scream at people until she forced them to cry. A former US congressman, Paul Hodes, was presented with details of the reporting where he said that such descriptions of Williamson mirrored his own experiences with her.
Claims of Staff Abuse
But speaking on Thursday in an interview, Williamson said that the 12 anonymous staffers were simply a "hit piece" and a "distraction technique." Furthermore, according to BBC, she dismissed claims that she had episodes of extreme rage.
She acknowledged that she could "be a b**ch" at times in the office but argued that anyone could read what was expected in politics. Williamson said that she was not running for sainthood but for president of the United States.
The best-selling author also denied claims that she criticized anyone for their weight. Despite confirming the car door incident, she said she would never physically hurt another individual.
Hodes also emphasized that the United States deserves a president with the right temperament and noted how crucial it is to have calm leadership under pressure. He noted that the presidency is very stressful and that such circumstances would be second nature to the role, said Fox news.
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