“It’s frightening to me, because, to be honest, during my tenure at the White House, I’ve had conversations behind closed doors with White House staffers and other government officials — including people in the intelligence community — where we’ve actually discussed ‘what if,’” she said. “What if he loses and refuses to leave, or … What if his plan is four more years of Donald Trump should he win, and will he even leave after that?”

Even threats Trump later shrugs off or claims were jokes should be taken seriously, Troye warned.

“The president when he’s joking, if he says that he’s joking, he’s telling you a half truth,” Troye said. “And in there is something fairly frightening and scary” in that.