Obama Attacks Trump, Republicans While Ordering Midwest Crowds to Vote Democrat
Former president blasts Trump during Detroit and Milwaukee speeches
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During speeches on Friday in Detroit and Milwaukee, former President Barack Obama attacked Donald Trump and the Republican party, all while urging his Midwest audiences to vote for Democratic candidates.
Avoiding calling Trump by name, Obama said the “character of our country is on the ballot” in the coming November’s midterm elections.
He also blasted President Trump’s promise to pass a tax cut before voters go to the polls.
“Congress isn’t even in session before the election!” Obama said. “He just makes it up!”
Speaking in Milwaukee, Obama pleaded with the crowd: “Here’s the thing. Everything I say you can look up.”
For helping to expand Medicaid, Obama credited gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, saying, “Few people fought against it harder” than her Republican challenger, state Attorney General Bill Schuette, according to the Detroit News.
In 2016, the state backed Trump over his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton.
Addressing the crowd, in a 5,000-seat gymnasium, Obama told them he hopes they can "come through" Trump's "lies" for a "great awakening."
“I’m hopeful, Michigan.”
“I’m hopeful that despite all the noise, despite all the lies, we’re going to come through all that.
"We’re going to remember who we are, who we’re called to be.
"I’m hopeful because out of this political darkness, I’m seeing a great awakening."
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According to Fox News, in Milwaukee, Obama criticized Republican Gov. Scott Walker -- who is being challenged by Democrat Tony Evers -- for claiming that he wants to protect health care for those with pre-existing conditions, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
“What we have not seen before in our public life is politicians just blatantly, repeatedly, baldly, shamelessly, lying. Just making stuff up,” Obama said.
“Calling up, down. Calling black, white.
"That’s what your governor is doing with these ads, just making stuff up.”
Obama held up Clinton’s email scandal as an example of the Republican Party’s hypocrisy.
“In the last election, it was Hillary’s emails. ‘This is terrible’ ... ‘This is a national security crisis,’” he said.
“They didn’t care about emails and you know how you know?
"Because if they did, they’d be up in arms right now that the Chinese are listening to the president’s iPhone that he leaves in his golf cart.”
He also took aim at Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp.”
“In Washington, they have racked up enough indictments to field a football team,” he said.
“Nobody in my administration got indicted.”
Trump and Obama have escalated the level of criticism of each other in recent months.
Trump has criticized his predecessor for trying to downplay his economic record, boasting that he had a magic wand to expedite the economic recovery.
"I opened up our beautiful economic engine with Regulation and Tax Cuts. Our system was choking and would have been made worse. Still, plenty to do!” Trump once tweeted.
If the Democrats had won the Election in 2016, GDP, which was about 1% and going down, would have been minus 4% instead of up 4.2%. I opened up our beautiful economic engine with Regulation and Tax Cuts. Our system was choking and would have been made worse. Still plenty to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2018
Regarding immigration, which Obama and Democrats have criticized Trump's stringent policies, Trump cited a 2005 video featuring Obama making a statement against illegal immigration, accompanied by the comment "I agree with President Obama 100%."
I agree with President Obama 100%! pic.twitter.com/PI3aW1Zh5Q
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2018
Additionally, Trump has defended his foreign policy record, which he claims has made America stronger, such as his tough stance with China and pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and other agreements viewed by some as not being in America’s best interests.
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Obama’s criticism wasn’t just directed at Trump.
He also scorned Republicans for trying to distract voters from critical issues.
Instead of talking about water in Flint, Mich., Trump is firing up his base by talking about "impoverished refuges 1,000 miles away," he said about the Honduran migrant caravan making its way toward the U.S.
But Obama has faced criticism over the Flint water crisis as well.
Some accused the Environmental Protection Agency under his watch of not displaying a sense of urgency the situation demanded.
Many Obama supporters also criticized Obama after he took a sip of the city's filtered tap water, to convince residents that it was safe to drink.
"It was such a disappointing thing to see," filmmaker Michael Moore said, according to the Detroit Free Press.
