Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday issued a sharp rebuke of successor Donald Trump, calling him self-absorbed and self-serving, someone with "no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves."
"I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies," Obama said on the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
"I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care.
"But he never did. Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala's ability to lead this country out of dark times and build it back better."
Obama spoke ahead of Sen. Kamala Harris, the California lawmaker chosen as Joe Biden's vice presidential running mate. She will be the first Black woman on a major White House ticket; Obama's speaking right before her was intended as a sort of passing of the torch, as he was the nation's first Black president.
Obama’s pointed criticism rankled Trump, who said Obama and Biden — Obama's vice president who is Trump's opponent this November — did not do a good job while in office.
"When I listen to that and see the horror that he's left us - the stupidity, the transactions that he made. Look what we're doing. We have our great border wall, we have security, we have the UAE deal [United Arab Emirates recognizing Israel], which has been universally praised," Trump said in response to the preview of his predecessor's scathing criticisms.
"When I look at how bad he was, how ineffective a president he was. He was so ineffective, so terrible. The reason I'm here is because of President Obama and Joe Biden. If they did a good job, I wouldn't be here. ... They did such a bad job that I stand before you as president."
Obama’s planned remarks represent some of his most pointed criticisms of Trump. The former president frequently discusses Trump administration policies, but rarely mentions him by name.
Obama also accused Trump of abusing his power.
"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 friends," Obama asserted in the speech, transmitted from Philadelphia.
"Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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