If he publicly bad mouthed Trump for a lighter sentence/punishment? That would make his character and his situation even worse from my perspective.
Good point. But note he had more than $2 million raised on his behalf.
He said he didn’t want Trump’s support.
Sometimes it’s smarter to be the opposite of what you are.
General George Washington was a master liar. (true)
George Washington would never tell a lie. (fable)
Different contexts demand different tactics.