Interviewing Madeleine Westerhout
By the Editorial Board
Madeleine Westerhout's recently published book Off the Record offers a personal, relatable, and honest account of how a girl from Southern California landed her dream job in D.C., working for President Donald J. Trump, and how she lost it.
Earning her dream job as a result of hard work— Madeleine interned for Romney's Presidential Campaign in 2012, Congressman John Campbell in 2013, and then worked at the RNC. Eventually, she found herself outside of the Oval Office, working as President Trump's Executive Assistant until she was promoted to Director of Oval Operations. The power that Westerhout earned was untouchable by her colleagues and unique to her ability to foster trust with the President.
Filled with silver linings, Madeleine's book is a tribute to taking ownership of her mistakes. Since the night that changed her career forever, Madeleine has exhibited a personal responsibility that The Conservateur finds inspiring. Madeleine's take on her career is refreshing, as she reflects on what helped her rise above the obstacles she faced with grace.
Off the Record highlights the President Trump that the mainstream media will not let you get to know, but the one that Madeleine knows very well. From faith to family, to relationships, to loss, Madeleine covers it all. It is with great honor and excitement that The Conservateur brings you Madeleine Westerhout's exclusive interview. A role model to young Republican women everywhere, Madeleine Westerhout, is a name to watch, and "Off the Record" is the book to read.
When The Conservateur thinks of Madeleine Westerhout, we see a strong, hardworking young woman, who in the face of hardship, has forged ahead with grace. What aspects of your upbringing are responsible for your perseverance in the face of adversity? How have your conservative values influenced who you are today?
Thank you so much! Well, first, let me say that I am so encouraged by what you ladies are doing at The Conservateur! It takes a great deal of courage to stand up for what you believe in with so much pride and grace, especially when the majority of your peers probably disagree with what you. Keep at it!
I have to give most, if not all, of the credit to my parents. They got divorced when I was around four years old, so I grew up with two single parents. My mom and dad always put my sister and me first and did everything in their power to provide us with so much love and support. My parents encouraged me in everything I did but made it clear that nothing would ever be handed to me. We weren’t rich, and we weren’t powerful. Everything my parents had, they had because they worked hard for it, and they made sure to instill those same values in my sister and me. Both of us got jobs the minute we were able to, and have been working ever since. Whatever I wanted to do, my mom and dad were behind me 100%, but I always made sure I knew that I would have to work hard. I learned from an early age that anything was possible; I could do or be anything I wanted to be. However, success is earned and not given, through commitment and perseverance. I made it happen because I knew no one else was going to do it for me.
I have taken these ideals with me throughout my life. When I wanted to be the captain of my dance team after only one year on the team, I made it happen. When I wanted to become the President of my very southern sorority, I made it happen. When I wanted to move to DC and get a job in politics, I made it happen. That is not to say that there haven’t been many obstacles and bumps along the road, but every obstacle was a chance to carve out a brand new path for myself and learn a valuable lesson.
“Off the Record” highlights the lengths that reporters will go to get a story even at the cost of another’s reputation. After experiencing the disingenuous side of journalism, has “getting burned” by the media become too normalized? Should we demand more integrity and accountability from our news sources?
While writing this book, I asked myself several questions about the night that led to me losing my job. With all of the pressing substantive issues at hand, how did reporting on my alcohol-fueled comments at the off the record dinner contribute anything constructive to our national dialogue? How were they intended to be anything but hurtful?
If a conservative journalist ever broke an off the record agreement, we would never hear the end of it. Can you imagine if this same situation happened under President Obama? Would the media allow comments about his family to be reported on? I doubt it.
The American people turn on the television and open up the newspaper expecting to find the truth without questioning whether or not there is a bias. I don’t believe that people can feel confident accepting what the media presents to them anymore, and public opinion consistently supports my view. This is not only a sad state of affairs but also very dangerous for our democracy.
To be clear, as I delve into in my book, Off The Record, I do not think the media as a whole is the enemy of the people. Many reporters are committed to integrity in their field. But in the coverage of this President, in particular, I have seen firsthand an unfortunate and alarming pattern of the media playing judge and jury, and I believe the American people deserve to trust the sources from where we get our news. Are journalists not required to at least attempt to be objective? OR reveal their bias so that people can form their own opinions?
You lost your job after you were canceled, and learned firsthand that politics and the media is not friendly to mistakes or welcoming to second chances. How did you come back from being “cancelled” and what is your advice for finding redemption?
In this day and age, it seems like everyone will be “canceled” for something sooner or later. There is no room for opinions or even a conversation that doesn’t fit the narrative that the Left, MSM, or Hollywood wants to tell. What’s ironic is that so many of the celebrities, Hollywood elite, and Left are continuously the ones who do not practice what they preach. Even Ellen DeGeneres, whose motto for her show is “be kind to one another,” is now facing multiple allegations of creating a workplace that is anything but. The hypocrisy is never-ending.
There is only one perfect person, and that is Jesus Christ. By the grace of God, we, as human beings, are already forgiven for every mistake we have made and will ever make. If God can forgive us for our most horrendous sins, surely we can have a little more compassion for one another, because we are all in this life together.
Outspoken conservatives are constantly scrutinized from social media to doxing threats. Given the volatility of politics today, why is it still necessary to speak up for what we believe? What advice would you give young conservatives about maintaining their composure and poise in the face of political hostility?
What I have loved most since my book has come out has been the ability to connect with so many people from different walks of life who share my same beliefs – and even some who vehemently disagree with me, but are respectful of my opinions and values. I have been so encouraged by the number of young conservatives speaking up so boldly for what they believe in. I don’t think that I would have been as brave or outspoken in my beliefs ten years ago, as a high school or college student. I thought the climate was hostile then… It was nothing compared to what we are facing now.
My advice to young conservatives would be to keep learning, keep doing the work, and keep having those difficult conversations. The facts speak for themselves.
I have found that conservatives are the ones who want to have substantive conversations, while young liberals just want to parrot talking points from their favorite celebrities. Oftentimes, the Hollywood glitterati don’t even fully understand the issues for which they are supporting. What we have to remember is that the Republican party is the party for everyone – we are the party of inclusivity, diversity, and opportunity. It’s important to continue to speak up for what we believe in because that is what our country was founded on. As difficult as it might seem to compete with the Loud Left, and as much as we might want to be polite and keep our opinions to ourselves, we must not let our voices be taken away from us.
In your book, you recall a piece of advice that Hope Hicks, quoting Herbert Hoover, gave you— “It is not what they take away from you that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left.” What does this quote mean to you? How do you balance accepting things that are out of your control and taking accountability for your mistakes?
Candidly, when Hope sent me a text with that quote, first and foremost, I was so thankful to hear from her. She became such a role model to me, and one of the most devastating parts about losing my job was that I thought I would lose all of the relationships I made along the way. Amazingly enough, the amount of support I received from people (friends, family, strangers, former colleagues) brought me to my knees with humility. I actually wrote in my journal the weekend after I was asked to resign, “I never want to forget this feeling of gratitude for the support I have received.”
Someone asked me the other day in an interview, “what was taken away from you throughout this experience?” Obviously, my job was taken, but if I had been asked that question one year ago, I would have answered “everything.” My job, my dignity, my self-worth, my future. I felt so broken and could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Now, a little over one year since I left the White House, I can confidently say that nothing was taken from me. A mistake I made cost me my job, and I suffered the consequences, but I also gained something invaluable.
I am someone that has chosen to believe that everything happens for a reason. Would I do things differently if given the chance? Of course, I would, 100%! I would do absolutely anything to have never gone to that dinner and spared the President, his family, and my family for that matter, so much pain. It is the absolute worst feeling in the world, knowing that your actions caused others to pain. However, writing my book allowed me the time and space I needed in order to fully process everything that happened – both my actions and the actions of others. I have realized that life is full of things we cannot control, but every day that we are blessed to wake up is an opportunity to better ourselves, learn, and grow while constantly learning how to forgive, forgive others, and ourselves.
Today’s political climate is unforgiving to conservative women— especially women who are outspoken supporters of the Trump Administration. In your book, you discuss feeling isolated because of your political beliefs. Why do you think that the feminist movement is unable to include and reconcile women with conservative viewpoints? How should feminism and conservatism intersect in your opinion?
When I was preparing for my book to come out and thinking about interviews that I would, or would not, want to do, I knew that there were a few particular shows that I would never go on, and most of those shows had female hosts. The saddest part about that is I should have been thrilled at the opportunity of sitting down with women who have some of the biggest platforms in the world to talk about whatever issues they want. Instead, I knew that they wouldn’t respect a diverging opinion, nor my experiences, and an interview with them would be nothing but a waste of time.
#WomenSupportingWomen was trending on various social media sites not too long ago. On the surface, I found it so inspiring to see women coming together to empower one another. Unfortunately, #womensupportingwomen seems to go for everyone except Republicans, Trump supporters or members of the President’s own family. It is disgraceful how women have treated Sarah Sanders, Kellyanne Conway, Ivanka Trump, and every other woman working in the Trump administration. Women are so cruel to one another, and if we paused for one minute to actually treat each other with decency, then maybe #womensupportingwomen might actually mean something.
I have no idea why people, and women in general, love to hate anyone that supports this President. President Trump has done so much for women while in office and surrounds himself with strong, intelligent, passionate women. One of the reasons I wanted to write my book was to be able to share with people how wonderful our President is. He empowered me and treated me with respect every single day.
Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum, all of us must take a step back, take responsibility for our own rhetoric, and focus on building each other up rather than constantly tear each other down.
“Off the Record” is about setting the record straight— when it comes to your story as well as President Trump’s. Throughout the book, you convey your unwavering support for the President and vouch for his character. Why do you support the President, and what do you believe is the biggest misconception about him?
It was very important for me to be honest in every single aspect of my book, which includes the fact that I was not supportive of Mr. Trump before the election. I didn’t even vote for him! I judged then-candidate Trump based on his rhetoric and his past more than on his vision for this country. I think a lot of people can relate to that. Donald Trump does not always say the right things, but his heart is good, and his actions speak louder than any words. While politicians on both sides continuously say all the right things but never follow through on their promises, President Trump is getting busy, working tirelessly for the American people.
There are so many misconceptions about President Trump that I could probably write another book on it. And while I don’t want to give away my book, but I will give you a glimpse into the Donald Trump I know:
He loves this country and respects the office of the presidency immensely. The gravity of the office that he holds is never lost on him.
He is generous, compassionate, and very kind.
He respects women.
He is a family man, and the American people have become like his family. He will do everything in his power to protect us, keep us safe, and make us prosperous.
In “Off the Record,” you mention that you have been trying to get more in touch with your faith. What role does religion play within your life now compared to when you were working at The White House? Has reconnecting with your faith changed how you view your life experiences?
Truthfully, I really lost touch with my faith after high school. When I went to college and then DC to embark on my career, there was always something that seemed more important than my relationship with God. In my book, I talk about how I began to worship one false God after another (a job, salary/title, relevance, power, etc.). While working at the White House, in my eyes, it didn’t matter if I had a relationship with the Lord, because all that did matter was rising up the ranks in my career. It wasn’t going to be God that gave me a promotion or secured a seat for me to fly alongside the President on Air Force One.
It wasn’t until everything was stripped away from me that I could reflect on what is truly important to me, which is my family, friends and my faith. Reconnecting with my faith has really grounded me and allowed me to find forgiveness for myself.
You have accomplished so much in a short period, rising from an intern to sitting outside of the Oval Office. Your hustle is admirable and inspiring— it is clear that nothing can truly stop you. After publishing such a fantastic book and receiving accolades by the press and President, what’s next for Madeleine Westerhout?
That is very kind. I am incredibly proud of what I have been able to accomplish – and everything I’ve learned along the way, but like the rest of us, I am a work in progress and still trying to discover what is next for me.
What I do know is that whether I am the CEO of a major company, a conservative journalist, a Pilates instructor, or a stay-at-home mom, my career will not define me. It is my dream to find something that fulfills me and also allows me to continue to be the best daughter, sister, friend, future wife, and mom I can possibly be.
