'Such a small man in such a big time': Tom Friedman tears into Trump for refusing to bow to democracy

On CNN Monday, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Tom Friedman slammed President Donald Trump and his Republican allies for doing everything in their power to delegitimize the election and the presidential transition.

"Trump is such a small man in such a big time," said Friedman. "We are facing not only just a transition of power, but a transition of power in the middle of a pandemic. All over the world — not only in America where Americans are looking to the government for help, all over the world — there are soldiers, men and woman in Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. And these Republican senators and senior officials who are backing Trump in this ridiculous wild goose chase, they will not make the smallest sacrifice."

"These are people who will not risk $174,000 in salary and free parking at National Airport to stand up and say the right thing," said Friedman. "It is not only shameful, this is actually the biggest threat to our democracy since the Civil War. It's all from within. Because we have a deeply, deeply disturbed party, populated now by people who are, day in and day out, ready to put the interest of that party ahead of the nation and ahead of the Constitution."

"The truth deniers know what they are doing," added Friedman. "Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Bill Barr, what they are doing is so cynical, putting party before country. And then, unfortunately, there are always these people who are buying it because Trump has so poisoned the well. We're playing with fire. There are a lot of guns in this country. And I repeat what I have said before this, you know. We could not — we could face a situation where we could not have a legitimate transfer of power. If that happens, all bets are off."

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