Republican voter says Trumpism is 'the greatest danger to this country right now'

CNN assembled a group of Republicans, Democrats and Independents to discuss President Biden’s Wednesday town hall, for a segment that aired Thursday on Don Lemon Tonight. While there were at least two Republicans in the group, one was very outspoken about his party’s recent behavior.

Phil Heimlich spoke about the “shameful” way so many Republicans are attempting to whitewash the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, and derided the spate of voter suppression bills introduced by Republican state legislatures around the country, using the lie of voter fraud as an excuse. But most concerning to Heimlich is his party’s embrace of former President Trump’s politics.

“I think the greatest danger to this country right now is Trumpism, more so than any policy,” Heimlich said. “And if they're able to suppress the vote, whatever policy you care about, if they're able to attack our rule of law, and we become one of these countries like Turkey and others that have really become right-wing — be really dictatorships, it doesn't matter what you stand for. So I think all of us, Republicans and Democrats, have to make the decision we're going to put country ahead of party.”

Video Transcript

DONALD TRUMP: I wanted-- I mean, personally what I wanted is what they wanted. They showed up just to show support because I happen to believe the election was rigged.

KYLIE MAR: Writers Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, authors of "I Alone Can Fix It," a book about former President Trump's tumultuous last year in office, joined "Anderson Cooper 360" Wednesday where they shared exclusive audio from an interview with Trump. In the audio, Trump revealed that he and the January 6 Capitol insurrectionists shared a common goal, and once again lamented the fact that former Vice President Mike Pence didn't personally overturn the election that day, which Pence did not have the power to do under the Constitution.

DONALD TRUMP: It says very, very clearly protect the Constitution of the United States I don't believe he's just supposed to be a statue who gets these votes from the states and immediately hands them over.

KYLIE MAR: Asked about his future with Pence, Trump remained non-committal and once again expressed his disappointment in his former VP.

DONALD TRUMP: No, I'm not locked into anything. I mean I'm not locked into--

PHLIP RUCKER: What if he were-- I mean, he could-- he could run against you in a primary. He wants to run for president, too.

DONALD TRUMP: Everybody-- it's a free country, right? It's a free country. I always liked Mike. I was very disappointed and so were a lot of Republicans.

KYLIE MAR: Trump also revealed why he believes the Supreme Court refused to hear any election challenges.

DONALD TRUMP: I'm very disappointed in the Supreme Court.

CAROL LEONNIG: What do you think they were afraid of?

DONALD TRUMP: They-- I guess they thought that it would be violent maybe. And it was violent the other way perhaps, I don't know. But I guess they thought that it would be violent.