This is what we know about the power of supporting Obama
Polls show how influential political support from former President Barack Obama is. Here’s what we know about the Obama factor.
Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump gave rare praise to his predecessor Barack Obama in a speech to reporters ahead of his scheduled appearance at the Democratic Party Convention on Tuesday evening.
Although Trump has been a relentless critic of Obama in the past, he struck a softer tone this time, calling the 44th president a “nice gentleman” whom he happens to “like and respect” in an interview with CNN.
“I thought he was a terrible president. He didn’t do his job. He let people take advantage of us on trade,” Trump said during his campaign in Michigan. “Especially on trade – he was very weak on trade. But I like him. I respect him and his wife.”
Trump’s softer tone stands in sharp contrast to his past and frequent criticism of Obama, including his endorsement of the “Birther” conspiracy, a false claim about Obama’s birthplace that Trump eventually retracted in 2016. And in 2016, Trump falsely accused Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the 2016 election.
Despite the praise, Trump’s recent comments still revolved around trade – a central theme during his presidency.
Obama and his wife Michelle are expected to deliver a speech later in the evening in support of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporter for the USA TODAY Network in Hawaii. Reach him at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow
