He criticized rigidity within his party, blaming it for the Republican sweep of the House, Senate and White House.
“I think the majority of the party realizes that the ideological purity of some of the groups is a recipe for disaster and that candidly the attack on over-the-top wokeism was a valid attack,” Warner said.
He expressed begrudging admiration for President Donald Trump’s ability to make outrageous statements without paying a political price and capture the attention of a public that largely ignores traditional media.
“President Trump can say virtually anything and it’s forgotten within the same 24-hour news period, so that is a whine and a complaint, but it’s the reality,” Warner said.
Trump also has a “reinforcing” social media army, Warner noted.
“That’s extraordinary, and Democrats have got a lot to learn from that,” he said.
