In a speech in which he explicitly derided the current president, President Barack Obama directly attacked Trump and Trumpism, saying that they are relying on people’s cynicism against the potential of a functioning government so they can “take away your power.”
In a break from traditional stand where the former president only uplifts his Party’s nominee, Obama also attacked the record and competence of his successor, arguing that Trump is incapable of handling the office he holds and doesn’t deserve reelection.
“No single American can fix these problems alone, not even a president,” Obama declared in an obvious slap back at Trump’s 2016 campaign statement that “Only I can fix it.”
Obama’s speech started after showing video of him awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to an obviously surprised Joe Biden, President Barack Obama said “what we do over these next 76 days will echo through generations to come.”
Obama noted that the Constitution wasn’t a perfect document when signed, but that the document gave us a guiding star to improve the Constitution and protect our republic allowing us to correct its mistakes, slavery and the subjugation of women being two of them.
Recognizing that the president is the only elected position in the government voted on by all Americans, Obama said that makes the position responsible to all 330 Americans.
Noting that he had sat in the Oval office with both Biden and Trump, Obama stated, “I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump would show some hope of taking the job seriously, that he might come to feel the weight of the office, and discovery some reverence for the democracy that was placed in his care.
“But he never did.”
Obama said that Trump hasn’t shown any interest in doing the work needed for the office or finding common ground with those who oppose his views. Trump, Obama noted, has used the office to the advantage of himself and his friends.
Trump uses the presidency as a reality show to get the attention he crave, Obama claimed, noting the toll the coronavirus has taken in blood and treasure.
Acknowledging that most voters have already made up their minds on who they’ll vote for in November, he described how he learned about the person Joe Biden is.
“But more than anything about Joe, what I know about Kamala is that they actually about every American, and that they care deeply about this democracy. They believe that no one, including the President, is above the law. They believe that no public office, including the President, should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.”
“They understand that political opponents aren’t un-American just because they disagree with you. A Free Press isn’t the enemy but the way we hold officials accountable.”
“None of this should be controversial. These shouldn’t be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They are American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him have shown that they don’t believe in these things.”
Obama called on all Americans to help realize the convictions of all those who fought and struggled to make our nation better, not those, like Trump, who hopes citizens’ exhaustion will lead to political victory.
Speaking specifically to younger voters, Obama said, “You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You’re the missing ingredient: the ones who decide whether America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.”