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

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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

PHIL HEIMLICH: There are too many Republicans today that don't have the guts to speak out against the big law.

- Why is that?

PHIL HEIMLICH: It's cowardice.

KYLIE MAR: CNN assembled a group of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to discuss President Biden's Wednesday town hall. And Republican Phil Heimlich railed against so many in his party for their refusal to admit that former President Trump lost the election. He also spoke about the dangers of embracing the former president's politics.

PHIL HEIMLICH: I think the greatest danger to this country right now is Trumpism. 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, doesn't matter what you stand for.

KYLIE MAR: Heimlich also touched on this spate of voter suppression laws being introduced by Republican state legislatures around the country and Trump's alarming affinity for dictators.

PHIL HEIMLICH: Nobody should be surprised, by the way, about these attacks on voting and voter suppression. Because look what happened when Trump was in office. What did he do? He praised dictators like Erdogan in Turkey and Putin and Duterte in the Philip-- he praised brutal dictators. So who does he look up to?

KYLIE MAR: And Heimlich called out his party for attempting to whitewash the reality of the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6.

PHIL HEIMLICH: When people in my party, the Republican Party, accommodate or refuse to criticize those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, you can't turn around and then talk about being tough on crime. I think it's shameful.