Obama: There's a 'Great Awakening' Happening Over 'Shambolic Governance' in America
Former president takes veiled swipes at Trump during Biden fundraiser
© press
Former President Barack Obama appeared to take thinly-veiled swipes at President Donald Trump Tuesday, while seemingly referring to the ongoing unrest around the country as a "Great Awakening."
Obama seemed to cheer the anti-Trump rhetoric and anti-police riots, associated with the Black Lives Matter protests, in his remarks to a fundraiser for former Vice President Joe Biden.
The ex-POTUS headlined a virtual fundraiser Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, praising his former right-hand man.
Obama described Biden as a "healer-in-chief," saying he takes inspiration from a “Great Awakening” that has risen on President Trump’s watch to challenge political and social norms.
The fundraiser marked Obama’s first campaign appearance on behalf of Biden since he endorsed his former vice president’s bid in mid-April.
Without mentioning him by name, Obama assailed Trump, saying the White House — with an assist from congressional Republicans and the media — “has gone at the very foundations of who we are and who we should be.”
© press
Obama said if elected were elected, he would be inheriting more challenges than when he took office in 2009 because of the way the Trump administration has rejected facts and science, suggested “a deadly disease is fake news,” promoted division, and considered “some people in this country more real as Americans than others.”
“That we haven’t seen out of the White House in a very long time,” he said, according to The Washington Times.
“The good news, what makes me optimistic is, the fact that there is a Great Awakening going on around the country, particularly among younger people who are saying not only are they fed up with the shambolic, disorganized mean-spirited approach to governance that we’ve seen over the last couple of years but more than that are eager to take on some of the core challenges that have been facing this country for centuries,” Obama said.
Obama said the moment calls for a sense of urgency from voters.
“Whatever you have done so far is not enough,” he said.
NEW: Obama, speaking at a Biden fundraiser, comes out swinging against the Trump admin, GOP, right-wing pundits and AG Barr’s Justice Department (per pool report) pic.twitter.com/7rYBNb1IuF
— John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) June 23, 2020
Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon kicked off the fundraiser, saying the campaign had received donations from 175,000 supporters and raked in $7.6 mullion, marking its largest single fundraising event of the election cycle.
The financial haul serves as a reminder of Obama’s star power and offers a preview of the roles that he, and his wife, Michelle, are expected to play as high-powered campaign surrogates over the coming months.
“I think it is a really important validation for Joe Biden from basically the most credible messenger in American politics,” said Joe Zepecki, a Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist.
“Obama remains overwhelmingly popular across all segments of the electorate.
“What we are seeing in Wisconsin is voters do want more information about Joe Biden,” he said about the battleground state.
"Their minds are made up about Donald Trump, but they do want to hear about Joe Biden.
"Barack Obama can talk about Joe Biden in a way that nobody else can.”
© press
The Trump campaign said Mr. Obama was not thrilled with Mr. Biden’s decision to run for president and for good reason.
“We know that Sleepy Joe isn’t fit to be YOUR president,” Trump said in a fundraising email.
“I know it. You know it. And even Cheatin’ Obama knows it — that’s why he waited until Joe was the last man standing to formally endorse him.”
Trump campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso said Trump helped steer the nation in a more prosperous direction since taking the reins from Obama.
“In contrast, the Obama/Biden dismal track record of record-slow economic recovery and high taxes devastated our economy, and come November the American people will not put our country in the hands of that same failed leadership,” he said.
Obama stayed out of the Democratic presidential primary race until it became clear that Biden, who often touted his ties to the president, was poised to win.
It was around this time four years ago that Obama appeared for the first time on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton, who at the time was engulfed in controversy over her use of a private email server.
This go-round, Obama returns to the political fray amid civil and racial unrest over George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
It has renewed questions over why Obama, the nation’s first black president, and Biden didn’t do more to address the complaints of bad policing in minority communities.
Defending their legacy Tuesday, Obama said, “There’s nobody I trust more to be able to heal this country and get back on track than my dear friend Joe Biden.
“We have this unique chance to translate a growing awareness of injustice in society into actual legislation and institutional change … and those moments don’t come too often,” he said.
