Former GOP senator torches Republican Party: A 'grotesque caricature' of what it once was

Former Sen. John Danforth (R-MO) has made it clear that he is not pleased with the Republican Party and what it has become under former President Donald Trump's leadership. From the disgraced former president's behavior to the U.S. Capitol riots and conspiracy theories, Danforth's opinion of the political party eroded even more.

During a recent interview with PBS News Hour, Danforth explained what he believes Sen. Jost Hawley's (R-MO) actions say about the Republican Party as he detailed what the political party should stand for.

"There are conspiracies out there involving liberals and corporations and big tech," Danforth said. "They're picking on you, the American people. You should resent this. You should feel your grievances. We feel them for you. And we're going to continue to create wedges to drive Americans apart."

He added, "So, it really is, as I say, kind of a grotesque departure from the tradition of the Republican Party."

Although Trump managed to take the Electoral College vote in 2016, Danforth noted that even then, the political party suffered a sharp decline, losing the popular vote by more than three million. He also emphasized how that number more than doubled during the 2020 presidential election which serves as a strong indicator of the party heading in the wrong direction.

"We're in decline. And in the last two presidential elections, President Trump lost in 2016 by three million votes," Danforth said. "He lost in 2020 by seven million votes. We're going in the wrong direction."

He continued, "The worst thing is that we have become really kind of a grotesque caricature of what the Republican Party has traditionally been. We were founded as the party of the union, of holding the country together. And now we have got on this populist tack, which is very much us against them."

Danforth's remarks follow a string of controversies the Republican Party has faced over the last several months. After Trump lost the presidential election, things spiraled out of control even more with Trump's post-election legal battles, misinformation campaigns, and conspiracy theories which led to the deadly Capitol riots.