Shortly before he left office, then-President Barack Obama said he didn't intend to criticize his successor unless he felt it was critical to "heart questions about our ideals and values."
"that I want to be respectful of this workplace," Obama said, explaining he wanted to provide Donald Trump that the opportunity to govern "without someone popping in every instance." And for the most part, he's held his tongue and veiled his criticism even as Trump worked to dismantle each of Obama's signature policies.
On Wednesday, Obama put aside that approach and let loose with a blistering assault, stating he wanted to "talk as plainly as I can concerning the stakes in this election" and arguing that another Trump triumph would threaten American democracy.
"I'd hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job badly," Obama said. "But he did."
"He's shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his buddies; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he wants.
"Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't," Obama said.
Obama painted Trump as status with dictators, tarnishing the global standing of the nation and using members of the military" as political props to set up against peaceful protesters within our own soil" -- a reference to Trump's usage of the National Guard to break up protests against racism summer time. "No public -- including the president -- should use their office to improve themselves or their supporters," Obama said.
Obama blamed Trump for permitting the coronavirus to spiral out of control.
"Our ability to work together to solve huge problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up," Obama said.
"that I want to be respectful of this workplace," Obama said, explaining he wanted to provide Donald Trump that the opportunity to govern "without someone popping in every instance." And for the most part, he's held his tongue and veiled his criticism even as Trump worked to dismantle each of Obama's signature policies.
On Wednesday, Obama put aside that approach and let loose with a blistering assault, stating he wanted to "talk as plainly as I can concerning the stakes in this election" and arguing that another Trump triumph would threaten American democracy.
"I'd hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job badly," Obama said. "But he did."
"He's shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his buddies; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he wants.
"Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't," Obama said.
Obama painted Trump as status with dictators, tarnishing the global standing of the nation and using members of the military" as political props to set up against peaceful protesters within our own soil" -- a reference to Trump's usage of the National Guard to break up protests against racism summer time. "No public -- including the president -- should use their office to improve themselves or their supporters," Obama said.
Obama blamed Trump for permitting the coronavirus to spiral out of control.
"Our ability to work together to solve huge problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up," Obama said.