The University of Illinois graced former President Barack Obama with an award for “ethics in government” on Friday, before the launch of his midterm campaign tour for Democrats in California and Ohio.
During his acceptance speech, Obama was expected to stress the importance of voting in the midterms, and how people can “engage during this unique time in American politics,” according to ABC News.
Notably, he went after President Trump by name in public for the first time since leaving office, calling his successor a “symptom” of a trend of resistance to positive progress.
“It did not start with Donald Trump,” he said. “He is a symptom. Not the cause. He’s just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years. A fear and anger that’s rooted in our past but also born out of the enormous upheavals that have taken place in your brief lifetimes.”
Barack Obama: "It did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause."
Under Obama, the Democrats lost 1,042 state and federal Democratic posts, including congressional and state legislative seats, governorships and the presidency. pic.twitter.com/ecvNTVUOqc
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 7, 2018
America’s most scandal-free president* also took the opportunity to boast that his job numbers were as good as President Trump’s “miracle” job numbers.
“When you hear about this economic miracle that’s been going on – when the job numbers come out… and suddenly Republicans are saying ‘it’s a miracle,’ I have to kind of remind them actually those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015 and in 2016,” he scoffed.
Fmr. Pres. Obama:
“When you hear about this economic miracle that’s been going on – when the job numbers come out… and suddenly Republicans are saying 'it’s a miracle.' I have to kind of remind them actually those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015 and in 2016.” pic.twitter.com/xAUcSG3toY
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 7, 2018
The former community organizer had the audacity to accuse President Trump of “pitting one group against another” — a practice he perfected while in office.
Trump is “appealing to tribe, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren’t for those who don’t look like us or don’t sound like us or don’t pray like we do,” he intoned.
#ORWELLIAN => Divisive, desperate @BarackObama blames republicans for @TheDemocrats race baiting politics! pic.twitter.com/YNrhi13jfP
— GITMO KAG2020 🇺🇸 (@President1Trump) September 7, 2018
Obama also tried to whitewash his history with Fox News, neglecting to mention that he had his Justice Department spy on Fox News reporter James Rosen, in addition to the AP.
"I complained plenty about Fox News, but I never threatened to shut them down,” says @BarackObama, whose administration spied on journalists, named one an “unindicted co-conspirator,” and prosecuted more leakers than anyone.pic.twitter.com/JVa2J1SzuG
— BlazeTV (@BlazeTV) September 7, 2018
Out of our current “political darkness,” Obama said he could see a “great awakening” happening all over the country:
"Out of this political darkness, I am seeing a great awakening of citizenship all across the country," former Pres. Obama says. https://t.co/56wJHw7yZ6 pic.twitter.com/KqJBpRHMby
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) September 7, 2018
What empty, disingenuous words. The #Resistance is a 21-month long primal scream of people who can’t accept that their candidate lost the 2016 election. It’s not an “awakening” — it’s a temper tantrum.
The real “awakening” is called the #WalkAway movement, where Democrats are waking up and leaving the political darkness of the left.
Brandon Straka, the movement’s founder, this week announced a march in Washington, D.C., later this month.
I am thrilled to officially announce- the #WalkAway March on Washington, October 26-28th.
It will be a weekend to change history. Join us!!! And please share this video!#WalkAway #WalkAwayMarch #WalkAwayCampaign pic.twitter.com/ijcFvtMBRM— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) September 5, 2018
You can watch Obama’s entire speech below, if you can stomach it:
* Obama’s presidency was completely “ethical” and “scandal-free” (if you discount the missing stimulus money, the Sestak affair, DealerGate, politicization of the National Endowment of the Arts, DOJ settlement slush funds, Operation Fast and Furious, the firing of Americorps IG Gerald Walpin, the IRS targeting scandal, ObamaCare lies, DOJ spying on journalists, Benghazi, the Pigford scandal, the NSA spying scandal, the EPA Gold King Mine spill, the GSA Las Vegas scandal, the VA death list scandal, Solyndra, shutdown theater, the State Department whistleblower scandal, the Taliban Five/Bergdahl trade, the Iran nuclear deal and ransom payment, the skewing of ISIS intel, EmailGate, mass spying on Americans, and unmasking Trump associates.)
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