Obama in first public blast at ‘ bigot’ Trump

BaracK Obama criticised donald Trump by name for the first time last night.

in an impassioned speech in illinois, the former president denounced what he called the politics of fear and resentment.

‘it did not start with donald Trump,’ he said. ‘He is a symptom, not the cause. He’s just capitalising on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years.

‘appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, 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 – that’s an old playbook.

‘it’s as old as time. and in a healthy democracy, it doesn’t work. Our antibodies kick in and people of goodwill from across the political spectrum call out the bigots and the fearmongers and work to compromise and get things done and promote the better angels of our nation.’

He criticised Mr Trump’s response to violence last year at a white nationalist rally in virginia that resulted in the death of one person.

Mr Trump had said there was blame on both sides.

‘We’re supposed to stand up to discrimination,’ said Mr Obama. ‘and we’re sure as heck supposed to stand up clearly and unequivocally to nazi sympathisers. How hard can that be, saying that nazis are bad?’ The public attack was seen by many as breaking one of Washington’s unwritten rules, that former presidents should speak

‘Breaking an unwritten rule’

respectfully of their successors, or at least with restraint.

Mr Obama also urged democrats to get out and vote in the upcoming midterm elections. ‘Just a glance at recent head- lines should tell you this moment really is different,’ Obama said. ‘The stakes really are higher.

‘The consequences of any of us sitting on the sidelines are more dire.’

Mr Trump shrugged off the attack, telling a campaign rally in north dakota: ‘i’m sorry, i watched it but i fell asleep. i found he’s very good. very good for sleeping.’

earlier, in Montana, he said he believed his speeches could one day be ranked alongside abraham lincoln’s Gettysburg address. He said lincoln’s civil war speech had initially received a bad press. ‘They said it was a terrible, terrible speech,’ declared Mr Trump.

‘Fifty years after his death, they said it may have been the greatest speech ever made in america. i have a feeling that’s going to happen with us.’

He said the Gettysburg address was ridiculed back in 1863 by the ‘fake news’.

Mr Trump also defended his fitness for office, saying his campaign rallies were proof of his mental sharpness.