Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 8 September 2018
Obama issues scathing critique of Trump, 'politics of fear'

By JUANA SUMMERS and symptom, not the cause" of author of an anonymous
SARA BURNETT division and polarization in New York Times opinion
Associated Press the U.S. piece that was sharply criti-
URBANA, Ill. (AP) — Former Trump, meanwhile, claims cal of his leadership, saying
President Barack Obama he fell asleep watching the essay a "national secu-
issued a scorching critique Obama's speech. rity issue."
of his successor Friday, "I'm sorry, I watched it, but Obama, reacting to the
blasting President Donald I fell asleep," Trump said at op-ed account, said "that's
Trump's pattern of pressur- a campaign appearance not how our democracy is
ing the Justice Department, in Fargo, North Dakota. "I supposed to work."
Former President Barack Obama makes a campaign stop at his policies and reminding found he's very good for "The claim that everything
Caffe Paradiso in Urbana, Ill., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, where he
did a campaign stop with Illinois Democratic gubernatorial voters that the economic sleeping." will turn out OK because
candidate J.B. Pritzker, left, following his speech at the University recovery — one of Trump's Trump said Obama was there are people inside the
of Illinois. favorite talking points — trying to take credit for this White House who secretly
Associated Press began on his watch. "incredible thing that's hap- aren't following the presi-
Obama's speech at the pening to our country." dent's orders, that is not a
University of Illinois at Urba- Even as he has largely re- check," Obama said. "I'm
na-Champaign was deliv- mained out of the spot- being serious here. That's
ered less than two months light, Obama made clear not how our democracy
before midterm elections he's paid close attention to is supposed to work. These
that could determine the the steady stream of head- people aren't elected.
course of Trump's presiden- lines chronicling the Trump They're not accountable."
cy. The remarks amounted administration and said the Obama also jabbed Trump
to a stinging indictment of news is a reminder of what's on the issue the current
political life in the Trump at stake in the November president frequently her-
era. midterm elections. alds as one of his greatest
"It did not start with Don- "Just a glance at recent achievements: The strong
ald Trump," Obama said. headlines should tell you economy. Obama remind-
"He is a symptom, not the this moment really is dif- ed the audience that the
cause. He's just capitalizing ferent," Obama said. "The economic recovery began
on resentments that politi- stakes really are higher. The during his administration
cians have been fanning consequences of any of us and defended his handling
for years." sitting on the sidelines are of the 2008 economic col-
Noting the history of for- more dire." lapse.
mer presidents avoiding He later added: "This is not "When you hear how great
the rough and tumble of normal." the economy's doing right
politics, Obama acknowl- He was especially stern now, let's just remember
edged his sharp critique of in his condemnation of when this recovery started,"
Trump was something of a Trump's pattern of pres- he said.
departure from tradition. suring law enforcement He also criticized Trump's
But he said the political mo- officials, including Attor- response to the violence
ment required a pushback ney General Jeff Sessions. last year at a white nation-
and called for better dis- The president has repeat- alist rally in Charlottesville,
course. edly called on Sessions to Virginia, that resulted in the
"Appealing to tribe, ap- fire special counsel Rob- death of one person.
pealing to fear, pitting one ert Mueller and earlier this "We're supposed to stand
group against another, tell- week blamed the Justice up to discrimination,"
ing people that order and Department for indicting Obama said. "And we're
security will be restored if it two incumbent Republi- sure as heck supposed to
weren't for those who don't can members of Congress, stand up clearly and un-
look like us or don't sound arguing the moves could equivocally to Nazi sympa-
like us or don't pray like we jeopardize their seats. thizers. How hard can that
do — that's an old play- "It should not be a partisan be, saying that Nazis are
book," he said. "It's as old as issue to say that we do not bad?"
time. And in a healthy de- pressure the attorney gen- The speech was a pre-
mocracy, it doesn't work. eral or the FBI to use the view of the argument that
Our antibodies kick in and criminal justice system as Obama is likely to make
people of good will from a cudgel to punish our po- throughout the fall. On Sat-
across the political spec- litical opponents," Obama urday, the former president
trum call out the bigots and said. "Or to explicitly call will stump for House Dem-
the fear-mongers and work on the attorney general ocratic candidates from
to compromise and get to protect members of our California at an event in Or-
things done and promote own party from prosecu- ange County, a conserva-
the better angels of our na- tion because an election tive-leaning part of Califor-
ture." happens to be coming nia where Republicans are
But, Obama added, when up. I'm not making that up. at risk of losing several con-
there is a vacuum in de- that's not hypothetical. gressional seats. Next week,
mocracy, "other voices fill As Obama spoke, Trump Obama plans to cam-
the void. A politics of fear told reporters aboard Air paign in Ohio for Richard
and resentment and re- Force One that he be- Cordray, the Democratic
trenchment takes hold." lieved Sessions should in- nominee for governor, and
Obama called Trump "the vestigate the identity of the Ohio Democrats.q