London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Obama says election results show nation is deeply divided

Obama says election results show nation is deeply divided

Former President Barack Obama said the election results, in which each candidates received more than 70 million votes, show the nation remains bitterly split.

"What it says is that we are still deeply divided. The power of that alternative worldview that's presented in the media that those voters consume -- it carries a lot of weight," Obama told CBS News' Gayle King in an interview that aired on "CBS Sunday Morning."

Asked by King if that worries him, the former President responded, "Yes. It's very hard for our democracy to function if we are operating on just completely different sets of facts."

Obama has done a series of interviews timed to the release of the first volume of his memoir, "A Promised Land," which will be available November 17. The book chronicles the 44th President's childhood and political rise, before diving into his historic 2008 campaign and first four years in the White House.

Obama, the country's first Black president, also confronts the racist politics of President Donald Trump, suggesting his 2008 election opened a wave of bitter and divisive turmoil that fueled Republicans' obstructionism and ultimately changed the party.

Obama on Sunday defended his active campaigning for President-elect Joe Biden, his former vice president, saying circumstances warranted his public criticism of his successor -- something that former presidents usually don't do.

"It is not my preference to be out there," he told King. "I think we were in a circumstance in this election in which certain norms, certain institutional values that are so extraordinarily important, had been breached. That it was important for me, as somebody who had served in that office, to simply let people know, 'This is not normal.'"

Trump has refused to concede, repeatedly claiming without evidence that the election was rigged and continuing to push unsupported legal challenges of the results. The formal transition between the Trump administration and the incoming Biden-Harris administration is likely to remain on hold until the election is certified by a Trump appointee within the General Services Administration in a process known as ascertainment.

During a separate interview with CBS' Scott Pelley that is set to air Sunday on "60 Minutes," Obama slammed Republican officials for backing the President's false claims of election fraud and said the allegations endangered democracy. And speaking on the importance of a peaceful transition with King, Obama said that "it's a temporary job. We're not above the rules. We're not above the law. That's the essence of our democracy."

Asked what advice he would give Biden, Obama said he believes the President-elect doesn't need his advice but pledged to help him in "any ways that I can."

"I'm not planning to suddenly work on the White House staff or something ... Michelle would leave me," he joked of the former first lady. "She'd be like what?

You're doing what?"

Although, Trump has frequently attacked Obama, the former President said he does not take them seriously.

"There are many things he says that I do not take personally or seriously, although I think they can often be destructive and harmful," Obama told King.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×