Obama blasts Trump for cosying up to America’s adversaries
28 October, 2020
Former US president Barack Obama was in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday to rally residents in the swing state to vote for Democrat Joe Biden.
Adjusting to the effects of Covid-19, Mr Obama hosted a drive-in rally, with persons confined with their cars to enforce social distancing.
In the lead-up to the election, he has increasingly departed from his usually restrained tone to criticise President Donald Trump’s record.
Mr Obama attacked the president's record on foreign policy, coronavirus and racial equality.
"A president shouldn't make things worse," he said.
Mr Obama criticised the president for walking from an interview with 60 Minutes journalist Leslie Stahl.
“Our current president, he whines that 60 Minutes is too tough," he said. "You think he’s going to endure dictators? He thinks Leslie Stahl’s a bully."
Mr Obama admonished the Trump administration for cosying up to America’s adversaries.
"He said that Putin of Russia, Xi of China and Kim Jong-un of North Korea want him to win. We realize.
"We realize because you've been providing them with whatever they want going back four years.
"Of course they need you to win. That's not a good thing. You shouldn't brag."
Mr Obama said Mr Trump showed “incompetence and disinterest” in managing the worsening coronavirus outbreak.
THE UNITED STATES has been reporting record-high Covid-19 infections this week, with an average of 71,000 new infections a day.
Mr Obama expressed alarm over the next Covid-19 outbreak in the White House, with aides to Vice President Mike Pence contracting the virus.
He accused the Republican leadership of turning the White House right into a “hot zone”.
Mr Trump, he said, was “jealous of Covid’s media coverage”.
"Tweeting at the TV doesn't fix things," Mr Obama said. "Watching TV all day long doesn't fix things. Making stuff up doesn't fix things.
"You've got to have a plan if you wish to create people's lives better."
He also reacted to controversial remarks made on Monday by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner about the African-American community.
"His son-in-law says black people have to desire to be successful," Mr Obama said. "That's the problem.
"Who are these folks? What history books do they read? Who do they speak to?"
In neighbouring Georgia, Mr Biden looked to make an impression on voters in a state which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1992.
Mr Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, announced she had again tested negative for Covid-19 as she headed for the historically Republican states of Arizona and Texas.
The Biden campaign is which consists of final days trying to sway voters in typically “red” states by calling young, non-white and anti-Trump suburban voters.
Elsewhere, Melania Trump hosted her first solo campaign event in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. She was joined by former Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway for the indoor rally in Atglen.
Both women have recently recovered from Covid-19 infection. Ms Trump said she was “feeling so much better because of healthy living” and “therapeutic treatments”.
The first lady delivered a rigid speech as she read off a teleprompter.
Throughout the campaign she's often delivered a far more balanced tone as opposed to Mr Trump’s controversial remarks.
The president has packed his campaign schedule in the final week prior to the election, sometimes visiting two states in one day.
Mr Trump is focusing his efforts on swing states, with a trip to Michigan’s capital Lansing on Monday accompanied by a vacation to Wisconsin.
Before leaving the White House, he called the voting system into question.
"It will be very, very proper and incredibly nice if successful were declared on November 3 rather than counting ballots for 14 days, which is totally inappropriate and I don't believe that's by our laws," Mr Trump said.
He has repeatedly suggested an upsurge in mail voting will bring about election fraud, although authorities say it really is secure and safe.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com