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- Former President Barack Obama said in a CBS interview that aired on Sunday that it was “disappointing” that more Republicans haven’t rejected President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his election loss.
- While speaking with Gayle King on “CBS Sunday Morning,” Obama said that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were rightfully elected and that there was “no legal basis” to challenge the results.
- Obama’s memoir, “A Promised Land,” will be released on November 17.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Former President Barack Obama said in a CBS interview that aired on Sunday that it was “disappointing” that more Republicans haven’t stood up to President Donald Trump in telling him that he lost the election.
While speaking with Gayle King on “CBS Sunday Morning,” Obama emphasized that both President-elect Joe Biden, who served under Obama as vice president from 2009 to 2017, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were rightfully elected and stated that there was “no legal basis” to challenge the results.
When King mentioned that Trump was receiving widespread GOP support to challenge the results, notably from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Obama expressed dismay at such actions.
“That has been disappointing,” he said. “But it’s been sort of par for the course during these four years. They obviously didn’t think there was any fraud going on, because they didn’t say anything for the first two days. But there’s damage to this because what happens is that the peaceful transfer of power, the notion that any of us who attain an elected office – whether it’s dogcatcher or president – are servants of the people. It’s a temporary job.”
He added: “We’re not above the rules. We’re not above the law. That’s the essence of our democracy.”
While Trump on Sunday grudgingly admitted that Biden won the election, he repeated his debunked claim that the election was “rigged” and said that he would not concede.
Obama wistfully recalled the concession from his 2008 opponent, the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona, as well as former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush inviting him and former first lady Michelle Obama to the White House after that year’s election.
“Could not have been more gracious,” he said.
Obama, who campaigned extensively for Biden in the final weeks of the campaign, is releasing his memoir, “A Promised Land,” on November 17.
When asked what advice he could offer Biden, the former president acknowledged the president-elect’s deep experience in Washington, one of the reasons that influenced him to choose Biden as his running mate in 2008.
“He doesn’t need my advice,” Obama said. “And I will help him in any ways that I can.”
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