Obama slams GOP for not holding Trump accountable: 'I thought there were enough guardrails'

Former President Barack Obama appeared on an Anderson Cooper 360 special on Monday, where he slammed the Republican Party for its unwillingness to push back against former President Donald Trump’s soft stance on Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Trump’s remarks following the violence in Charlottesville in 2017, and the election lies that led to the January 6 insurrection.

“The degree to which we did not see that Republican establishment say, ‘Hold on. Time-out. That's not acceptable. That's not who we are.’ But rather be cowed into accepting it,” Obama said, “and then finally culminating in January 6th.”

Obama went on to call out right-wing media outlets for creating racial fear and resentment, and making money from it.

“I think that there are certain right-wing media venues, for example, that monetize and capitalize on stoking the fear and resentment of a white population that is witnessing a changing America, and seeing demographic changes,”Obama said, “and do everything they can to give people a sense that their way of life is threatened, and the people are trying to take advantage of them, and we’re seeing it right now.”

Video Transcript

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ANDERSON COOPER: You talk about dark spirits that had long been lurking on the edges of the Republican Party coming center stage. Did you ever think it would get this dark?

BARACK OBAMA: No. I thought that there were enough guardrails institutionally.

KYLIE MAR: Former President Barack Obama appeared on an Anderson Cooper 360 Special Monday where he spoke about the Republican Party's unwillingness to hold former President Trump accountable throughout his presidency. Obama believes the GOP should have pushed back against Trump on Russia, his comments following the violence in Charlottesville in 2017, and Trump's propagation of lies following the presidential election.

BARACK OBAMA: We did not see that Republican establishment say, hold on, time out that's not acceptable, that's not who we are. But rather be cowed into accepting it and then finally culminating in January 6th.

KYLIE MAR: Obama spoke about how many of Trump's most ardent defenders blamed him following the January 6th insurrection and how almost all of them quickly reversed course and supported the former president's election lies.

BARACK OBAMA: The reason for that is because the base believed it. And the base believed it because this had been told to them, not just by the president but by the media that they watch and nobody stood up and said stop.

KYLIE MAR: Obama went on to call out right wing media outlets for making money off of racial fears.

BARACK OBAMA: There are certain right-wing media venues for example, that monetize and capitalize on stoking the fear and resentment of a white population that is witnessing a changing America.

KYLIE MAR: As an example, Obama pointed out that certain media outlets along with many Republican lawmakers seem to be obsessed with bashing critical race theory in recent weeks when there are more pressing issues that need attention.

BARACK OBAMA: How are we going to deal with the economy and what are we going to do about climate change and what are we going to do about-- lo and behold the single most important issue to them apparently right now is critical race theory. Who knew that that was the threat to our Republic.

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