Barack Obama said part of the reason 73 million Americans voted for re-election of Donald Trump in the election was because of messages from Republicans that the country, especially white men, is under attack.
In an interview with the radio program The Breakfast Club on Wednesday promoting his new memoir A Promised Land, Obama said that the Trump administration, which he did not name directly, had “objectively failed, miserably, to deal with just the basic care and safety of the American people.” , And yet he garnered millions of votes.
Obama said, “What always interests me is the degree to which I’ve seen in Republican politics that has created the sense that white males are victims.” They are the ones under attack – which clearly doesn’t mesh with history, data and economics. But this is a sincere belief, absorbed, and this is a story to be told and how you can relax it will not be something to be done immediately. ”
Later, one of the show’s hosts, DJ Envy, asked Obama how he had responded to criticism of blacks and other communities of color that didn’t think he had done enough for them as president.
“I understand that because when I was elected there was a lot of excitement and hope, and I also think that in general we view the presidency as quasi-royal in the sense that once the president takes over there, he can only do whatever it takes to get it done. And Obama said, ‘If he doesn’t do that. It should be because he does not want to do it. “
Envy challenged Obama, explaining that Trump behaved exactly this way.
Obama said, “Because it’s breaking the laws or ignoring the constitution.” “The good news for me is that I was very confident in what I did for black people because I have the stats that prove it.”
Obama continued to highlight how his policies led to higher black incomes, reduced poverty and increased access to health care.
Obama said, “The problem is sometimes that we haven’t gone out of it because the goal here again is to build alliances where everyone gets something so that they all feel they have a stake in it.” But a lot of my policies have been aimed at the people most in need. These people are disproportionately African American. “
Obama also spoke about the role of the public and Congress in bringing about change. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell halted much of the Obama administration’s efforts in the Republican-controlled Senate in the final years of his presidency.
Obama has warned that a similar fate may await President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. It is not known which party will dominate the Senate until results emerge from the two rounds of Georgia run-offs scheduled for January 5.
Obama said, “If the Republicans win these seats, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will not be able to pass any law that Mitch McConnell and the other Republicans will not agree to.”
This was one of the only signs Obama made about the incoming president, who sparked controversy on social media in May after an interview with The Breakfast Club in which he said: “If you have a problem knowing whether you are for me or Trump, you are not black.”
Later that day, Biden apologized: “Nobody, nobody, should vote for any party based on their race, religion, or background.”
