# Alice Butler-Short
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{{Short description|American political activist (1943–2021)}}
{{see also|Women for Trump}}
'''Alice Butler-Short''' ({{nee}} '''Butler''', born 1943,[{{cite news |title=At home in Trump's America |url=https://www.dw.com/en/at-home-in-trumps-america/a-19471355 |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[Deutsche Welle](/source/Deutsche_Welle) |date=8 December 2016}}] died 30 March 2021[{{cite news |title=OBITUARY: Alice Anne Butler-Short, 1943-2021, a political activist and committed Christian |url=https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/home/624961/obituary-alice-anne-butler-short-1943-2021-a-political-activist-and-committed-christian.html |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=[Tipperary Live](/source/Tipperary_Live) |date=16 April 2021}}]) was the founder of '''Virginia Women for Trump''', an American [advocacy group](/source/advocacy_group) supportive of former American president [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump).
== Political activism ==
Butler-Short said she became politically active as soon as she was able to vote, and always voted [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) since the days of President [George H. W. Bush](/source/George_H._W._Bush). She believed that the United States is currently on the verge of downfall because of the [Democrats](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)), who she believed "want to move our great country to [socialism](/source/socialism)", and that she was a Republican activist because she believed it would lead to a better future for her children.[{{cite news |last1=Basch |first1=Michelle |title=Virginia Women for Trump founder: 'I know he will not give in' |url=https://wtop.com/virginia/2017/08/virginia-women-trump/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[WTOP](/source/WTOP-FM) |date=18 August 2017 |language=en}}] She also helped other states set up their own [Women for Trump](/source/Women_for_Trump) chapters.[{{cite web |last1=Pizzutillo |first1=Rich |title='Silent No More': N.J. Women for Trump draws enthusiastic crowd, sells out first event |url=https://www.roi-nj.com/2019/11/08/opinion/silent-no-more-n-j-women-for-trump-draws-enthusiastic-crowd-sells-out-first-event/ |website=ROI-NJ |access-date=18 January 2021 |date=8 November 2019}}]
Virginia Women for Trump's support base is made up of a coalition of Republicans supportive of Trump; this includes men and women from Pakistan, Vietnam, Mexico, Colombia and Iran, as well as the United States.[{{cite news |last1=Williamson |first1=Elizabeth |title=At a Toast to Trump, the North Korean Anthem Has a Starring Role |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/us/politics/trump-women-north-korea.html |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=25 June 2018}}]
She described herself and the group as [anti-feminist](/source/anti-feminist), in favor of a strong U.S. military presence for [self-defence](/source/self-defence), and wanted tougher control on the [U.S.–Mexico border](/source/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_border) to deter immigration. Although supportive of [America First policies](/source/America_First_(policy)), she supported military and economic aid to U.S. allies.[{{cite news |last1=Everson |first1=Zach |title=The 8 types of people you meet at the Trump hotel |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/08/the-8-types-of-people-you-meet-at-the-trump-hotel/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[Mother Jones](/source/Mother_Jones_(magazine)) |date=September–October 2020}}][{{cite magazine |last1=Bennett |first1=Brian |title=For President Donald Trump, It's Open Season for Getting Even |url=https://time.com/5784052/donald-trump-getting-even/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine)) |date=13 February 2020}}]
Butler-Short also defended the Trump administration's [family separation](/source/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy) and [internment policies](/source/Trump_administration_migrant_detentions) for migrant children.[{{Cite tweet |user=Channel4News |authorlink=Channel 4 News |number=1012273752095289344 |title="What do you do when people come in the thousands? Do you put them all up in the Hilton?" Founder of Virginia Women for Trump, Alice Butler Short, defends Trump's policy, which has seen illegal immigrant children being separated from their families.}}]
In 2019, the Trump campaign issued a [cease and desist](/source/cease_and_desist) letter to Butler-Short, because they said the group had used Trump's image without permission in connection with fundraising. [Trump's 2020 campaign](/source/Donald_Trump_2016_presidential_campaign) repeatedly said the group was "not sanctioned" by the campaign.[{{cite news |last1=Lippman |first1=Daniel |last2=Nguyen |first2=Tina |title=The mystery of Rudy Giuliani's spokeswoman |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/10/christianne-allen-giuliani-079762 |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=10 December 2019 |language=en}} A copy of the letter can be accessed [https://static.politico.com/e2/d8/61306e664383b9e3da56ecd1f956/30117.pdf here], provided by ''Politico''.]
[Rabia Kazan](/source/Rabia_Kazan) is a Turkish women's rights journalist who spoke at VWT events in February 2019. She initially supported Trump for his comments on [Islam](/source/Islam), but later denounced groups within the [pro-Trump](/source/pro-Trump) movement (such as VWT) as [cult](/source/cult)ists. In response, Butler-Short sent a message to Kazan in intentionally [broken English](/source/broken_English) for her to put up on [social media](/source/social_media), which would have supported Trump and claimed Kazan was seeking [psychiatric](/source/psychiatric) help.[{{cite news |last1=Sollenberger |first1=Roger |last2=O'Neill |first2=Kathleen |last3=Jamieson |first3=Amber |title=She Shunned Islam And Was Embraced By Trump World. Now, She's Turned Against Them. |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rogersollenberger/she-shunned-islam-and-was-embraced-by-trump-world-now-shes |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[BuzzFeed News](/source/BuzzFeed_News) |date=5 February 2020 |language=en}}]
Butler-Short said that she felt "horrified" at the [murder of George Floyd](/source/murder_of_George_Floyd), and described [Trump's walk to St. John's Church](/source/Donald_Trump_photo_op_at_St._John's_Church) as "very meaningful", denying that it was a [photo opportunity](/source/photo_opportunity).[{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-03/donald-trump-law-and-order-us-protests-george-floyd/12316896/ |title=As "President of law and order", Donald Trump can use division to his advantage during George Floyd protests |publisher=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia)) |date=3 June 2020 |access-date=28 July 2022 |author=Daniel, Zoe |author-link=Zoe Daniel}}]
Butler-Short made it clear in 2020 that she does not accept [Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden) as the next legitimate [President of the United States](/source/President_of_the_United_States).[{{cite news |last1=Rousseau |first1=Alex |title="Pennsylvania made it all the sweeter!" |url=https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-the-hard-shoulder/pennsylvania-made-it-all-the-sweeter |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[Newstalk](/source/Newstalk) |date=9 November 2020}}]
Traveling to [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) on January 5, Butler-Short said that she was protesting against [a stolen election](/source/Stop_the_Steal).[{{cite news |last1=Strand |first1=Paul |title=Thousands of Protestors Arrive in DC, Contending the Presidential Election Outcome Could Change |url=https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2021/january/thousands-of-protestors-arrive-in-dc-still-contending-the-presidential-election-outcome-could-change |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[CBN News](/source/CBN_News) |date=5 January 2021 |language=en}}] VWT sponsored a "One Nation Under God" rally outside the [Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States) that day.[{{cite web|last=O'Gorek|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.hillrag.com/2021/01/06/where-are-wednesdays-pro-trump-protests/|title=Where Are Wednesday's Pro-Trump Protests?|date=6 January 2021|access-date=18 January 2021|work=[Hill Rag](/source/Hill_Rag)}}] She spoke out against the [deadly riots at the Capitol](/source/2021_United_States_Capitol_attack) which occurred the following day, but denied Trump's culpability in inciting the crowd;[{{cite news |title=Donald Trump supporters condemn violence but vow to keep backing the president |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-08/donald-trump-supporters-condemn-violence-but-vow-to-keep-backing-the-president |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[ITV News](/source/ITV_News) |date=9 January 2021 |language=en}}] she later claimed that the event was a "peaceful march".[{{cite news |title='I'm no cult member', rants Trump supporter at cousin in Wales during TV interview |url=https://nation.cymru/news/im-no-cult-member-rants-trump-supporter-at-cousin-in-wales-during-tv-interview/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[Nation.Cymru](/source/Nation.Cymru) |date=13 January 2021}}]
==Personal life==
Butler-Short was born in [Cahir](/source/Cahir), [County Tipperary](/source/County_Tipperary), [Ireland](/source/Republic_of_Ireland).[{{cite web |last1=Dunne |first1=Sean |title=Trump will help make Ireland great again, says his Tipp-born champion |url=https://extra.ie/2018/09/03/news/irish-news/alice-butler-short-trump-ireland |website=[Extra.ie](/source/Extra.ie) |access-date=18 January 2021 |date=3 September 2018}}]
She lived in [Lorton, Virginia](/source/Lorton%2C_Virginia) and was a [U.S. citizen](/source/U.S._citizen).[{{cite news |last1=Delshad |first1=Carmel |title=Virginia Women For Trump Set Their Sights On Another Presidential Win In 2020 |url=https://wamu.org/story/18/01/19/virginia-women-trump-set-sights-another-presidential-win-2020/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=[WAMU](/source/WAMU) |date=19 January 2018 |language=en}}] She described herself as "a product of a great [Catholic](/source/Catholic) family and a great Irish education".[{{Cite tweet |user=vawomentrump |number=1199573299220623362 |title=No Rita. I am not a relic of anything. I am a product of a great Catholic family and a great Irish education. You need to do a little reading other than the liberal media rags - or perhaps you don't want to be confused by facts.}}]
Butler-Short moved to [London](/source/London) when she was 18 and met her first husband there. He was Chinese, and they moved to [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong), living together for 13 years. The family had to leave Hong Kong for political reasons and moved to [Canada](/source/Canada). She met her second spouse, a U.S. Army colonel, in Canada following her husband's death. They moved to the U.S. in 1983, and she accompanied him overseas before returning to the U.S. in 1993.