Obama gives Trump sharp rebuke in address on values
from prison in 1990 and became South Africa’s first black president four years JOHANNESBURG — Without later, died in 2013, leaving ever mentioning President a powerful legacy of reconDonald Trump by name, forciliation and diversity along mer U.S. President Barack with a resistance to inequalObama on Tuesday took aim ity, economic and otherwise. at “strongman politics” in his Obama has shied away from highest-profile speech since public comment on Trump, leaving office, urging people whose administration has around the world to respect reversed or attacked notable human rights and other valachievements of his predecesues now under threat in an sor. The U.S. under Trump impassioned address markhas withdrawn from the 2015 ing the 100th anniversary of Paris climate agreement and anti-apartheid leader Nelson leaders when they’re caught the Iran nuclear deal while tryMandela’s birth. in a lie and they just double ing to undercut the Affordable
Obama’s speech to a cheer- down and lie some more,” Care Act or “Obamacare.” ing crowd of thousands in warning that the denial of Instead of commenting South Africa countered many facts — such as that of cli- on politics, Obama’s speech of Trump’s policies, rallymate change — could be the drew on broader themes and ing people around the world undoing of democracy. his admiration for Mandela, to keep alive the ideas that But Obama reminded the whom America’s first black Mandela worked for includaudience that “we’ve been president saw as a mentor. ing democracy, diversity and through darker times. We’ve When Obama was a senatolerance. been through lower valleys,” tor he had his picture taken
Obama opened by call- and he closed with a call to with Mandela. After Obama ing today’s times “strange action: “I say if people can became president he sent a and uncertain,” adding that learn to hate, they can be copy of the photo to Man“each day’s news cycle is taught to love.” dela, who kept it in his office. bringing more head-spinHe received a standing Obama also made a point of ning and disturbing head- ovation. visiting Mandela’s prison cell lines.” These days “we see “Just by standing on the and gave a moving eulogy at much of the world threatenstage honoring Nelson ManMandela’s memorial service ing to return to a more dan- dela, Obama is delivering an in 2013, saying the South Afrigerous, more brutal, way of eloquent rebuke to Trump,” can leader’s life had inspired doing business,” he said. said John Stremlau, profes- him.
He targeted politicians sor of international relations Many South Africans view pushing “politics of fear, at Witwatersrand University Obama as a successor to Manresentment, retrenchment,” in Johannesburg, who called dela because of his groundsaying they are on the move the timing auspicious as the breaking role and his sup“at a pace unimaginable just commitments that defined port for racial equality in the a few years ago.” Mandela’s life are “under U.S. and around the world.
He attacked “strongman assault” in the U.S. and elseMoses Moyo, a 32-year-old politics,” saying that “those where. Uber driver, was among the in power seek to undermine “Yesterday we had Trump thousands attending Obama’s every institution ... that gives and Putin standing together, speech. “I think he’ll speak democracy meaning.” now we are seeing the oppos- about how Mandela changed
He spoke up for equality in ing team: Obama and Manthe system here in South all forms, saying that “I would dela.” Africa, how he ended aparthave thought we had figured Obama’s speech high- heid and gave hope for the that out by now,” and he even lighted how the Nobel poor and encouraged eduinvoked the World Cup-winPeace Prize winner, who was cation,” he said. Many peoning French team and its diverimprisoned for 27 years, kept ple in South Africa are dissity. He warned that coun- up his campaign against what couraged by corruption, he tries that engage in xenophoappeared to be insurmount- added, as the ruling African bia “eventually ... find themable odds to end apartheid, National Congress struggles selves consumed by civil war.” South Africa’s harsh system to maintain the legacy that
And he noted the “utter of white minority rule. Mandela and others establoss of shame among political Mandela, who was released lished.
This is former President Barack Obama's first visit to Africa since leaving office in early 2017.
He stopped earlier this week in Kenya, where he visited the rural birthplace of his late father.