Former House Speaker John Boehner, a stalwart of Republican politics for a generation, wants nothing to do with his party’s presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump.
“I think it’s time for the Republican party to move on. And frankly, I think it’s time for Donald Trump to move on,” Boehner told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett on “The Takeout.”
Asked whether he thought Trump would step back or the party would abandon him, Boehner replied, “Hope springs eternal.”
Boehner distanced himself from the 45th president after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol but admitted he voted for Trump in the 2020 election.
Boehner, an Ohio native, served 13 terms in the house, including as House speaker from 2011 to 2015. His resignation came amid challenges from the right wing of his party.
Now, he says he’s glad to be retired from electoral politics.
“D.C. was getting a little crazy when I left, but boy, it’s gotten a lot crazier since. I get back to town probably seven, eight times a year, but I try to avoid Capitol hill,” he said.
The former speaker lamented the polarization of America, which he also sees reflected in Congress.
“This polarization is fed every day by what we see on cable news, what we see on these social media platforms,” Boehner said. “It’s pushing and pulling people into one of two camps, leaving fewer and fewer people in the middle. And this polarization has gotten to the point where, you know, it’s nasty.”
Executive producer: Arden Farhi
Producers: Jamie Benson, Jacob Rosen, Sara Cook and Eleanor Watson
CBSN Production: Eric Soussanin
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