OPINION | Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those held by Sarah Palin.
President Trump is far from a fan of former President Obama, but with his predecessor coming out of political retirement and planning to head back on the campaign trail it would stand to reason that Trump would at least be interested in his Friday speech at the University of Illinois.
And he was, for a short while.
During a speech of his own on Friday, President Trump said he watched some of Obama’s speech before he fell asleep.
“I watched it, but I fell asleep,” Trump said, as ABC News reports. “I found he’s very good. Very good for sleeping.”
The Fargo crowd enjoyed the comment and met it with laughs and applause.
Reporter asked Trump if he watched the Obama speech:
“I’m sorry, I watched it, but I fell asleep. I found he’s very good. Very good for sleeping.” pic.twitter.com/bdNP7PCStK
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) September 7, 2018
From Politico:
President Donald Trump on Friday said he “fell asleep” watching Barack Obama tear into him during a rare public speech that framed Trump as a threat to democracy.
“I’m sorry I watched it, but I fell asleep,” Trump said, during his own speech in North Dakota.
— Advertisement — Trump added that he was not amused by Obama‘s taking credit for the improving economic situation, adding that if Democrats had remained in power, the situation would be a lot worse.
Former President Obama just offered an eloquent reminder of why Americans made the right choice when they elected President Trump
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) September 7, 2018
Trump said he and his administration ought to have been lauded by the former president because, had there been a different result in the 2016 presidential election, the country would be in an economic struggle.
“I have to say this to President Obama, and it wasn’t him, but it would have been the same thing. If the Democrats got in with their agenda in November of almost two years ago, instead of having 4.2 up, I believe, honestly, you would have 4.2 down,” Trump said.
The more President @BarackObama speaks about the ‘good ole years’ of his presidency, the more likely President @realDonaldTrump is to get re-elected.
In fact, the best explanation of President Trump’s victory are the “results” of the Obama Presidency!
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 7, 2018
The Obama years were dominated by higher taxes, slower growth, big government, a broken military, and a pathetically weak foreign policy.
The voters found in Hillary Clinton more of the same.
They wanted a better way.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 7, 2018
Politico reports the figure is a reference to the rate of GDP growth for the second quarter of Trump’s second year in office, the fastest since 2014.
Many people responded to Obama’s speech online with very partisan reactions. Liberals loved it as it reminded them of the days before their “resistance.” Conservatives were reminded that there are still big stakes for the November congressional election and that Democrats are fighting at every turn to try and get power back in Congress.
As the Washington Times reports, some conservatives welcomed Obama’s return because as he speaks the more conservatives retaliate in the polls. Obama is a magnet, so to speak, to conservatives:
the Republican National Committee brushed off Mr. Obama’s lengthy rebuke of their time in power, recalling the surge of conservative votes that gave the GOP control of both the House and Senate.
“In 2016, voters rejected President Obama’s policies and his dismissiveness towards half the country. Doubling down on that strategy won’t work in 2018 either,” RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement to The Washington Times.
Republican Rep. Steve Stivers welcomed Mr. Obama’s return from political retirement.
Mr. Stivers, who chairs the House GOP’s campaign arm, said before Mr. Obama’s speech on Friday that he would welcome the former president back into the political fray.
“I have limited experience on this — my experience on that is 2010, 2012, 2014,” Mr. Stivers, Ohio Republican, told reporters at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. “So for three cycles President Obama fired up Republicans like nobody, and I’m happy if he wants to do it again.”