Former Republican House Speaker John Boehner says it is time for the GOP to move on from Donald Trump. The former Congressman distanced himself from Trump following January 6th, 2021, and said the relationship between the controversial billionaire and the Republican Party must end.
“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,” he said.
The Ohio native served 13 terms in the House of Representatives and held the role of Speaker from 2011 to 2015. In an interview with Major Garrett of CBS News, Boehner said he is glad to be out of electoral politics, particularly as the country is now so divided. He explained that he believes social media and 24-hour cable news are encouraging increased polarization in America, and while Capitol Hill was “crazy” before, “it’s gotten a lot crazier since.”
While Boehner supported Trump in 2020, he revoked his support following the Capitol Hill riots of January 6th. Like many others on the Hill, including Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, Boehner blames the former President for prompting the disorder. Soon after the event, he said Trump “incited that bloody insurrection.” In his memoirs, Boehner reflected upon the incident and argued that Trump had deliberately provoked chaos for selfish purposes.
In response to a request for comment from the New York Times, Trump asked, “Was he drinking when he made that statement?” He then hit back at Boehner and called him just another Republican in Name Only (RINO) who wasn’t up to the job. An advisor to the former President, Jason Miller, referred to Mr. Boehner as a “swamp creature.”
Donald Trump remains the clear front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination. Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, remains in second place, but recent polls have shown him falling behind Trump by a significant double-digit margin. A Wall Street Journal poll in May showed Trump at 48% and DeSantis trailing at 24%.
