Former President Barack Obama told CNN Monday that he is concerned a key American party had allowed conspiracy theories and falsehoods to reign and supported Trump’s unfounded claims over the 2020 elections.
“I didn’t expect that there would be so few people who would say: ‘Well, I don’t mind losing my office because this is too important. America is too important. Our democracy is too important. We didn’t see that.”
Obama acknowledged that he noticed “dark spirits” were forming within the Republican Party throughout his two terms in office – but did not foresee leaders spreading the lies over the election procedure.
“We have to worry when one of our major political parties is willing to embrace a way of thinking about our democracy that would be unrecognizable and unacceptable even five years ago or a decade ago,” he added.
GOP lawmakers who “cowed into accepting” Trump’s allegations had, according to Obama, a great part in the unprecedented breach of the US Capitol Building on Jan. 6.
“I’m still the hope and change guy,” Obama concluded. “My hope is that the tides will turn.”
