Remember what it was like to have a president with class, dignity, and skills as a diplomatic leader? While it may feel like that was years ago since every day of Trump’s presidency feels like 100 days instead, it was only a year and a half ago that the U.S. had a president who didn’t embarrass us and represented the best of America’s values in his every statement.
On Tuesday, President Obama gave a speech in Johannesburg, South Africa at an event honoring Nelson Mandela. It was his highest-profile appearance since leaving office and he used the opportunity to call out world leaders who shamelessly lie and abuse their power. He never named anyone, but the references were far too obvious to ignore.
‘Unfortunately, too much of politics today seems to reject the very concept of objective truth. People just make stuff up…we see the utter loss of shame among political leaders where they’re caught in a lie and they just double down.’
Former Pres. Obama: "Unfortunately, too much of politics today seems to reject the very concept of objective truth. People just make stuff up…we see the utter loss of shame among political leaders where they're caught in a lie and they just double down" https://t.co/s4drXPlcRD pic.twitter.com/rn5o4xt9rM
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 17, 2018
To a crowd that Donald Trump could only dream about attracting, Obama responded to cheers and chants of his name with gratitude, but solemnly spoke of the dangers of the cornerstones of Trump’s administration: bigotry and hatred.
‘The fact that countries which rely on rabid nationalism and xenophobia and doctrines of religious or racial superiority as their main organizing principle … Eventually those countries find themselves consumed by civil or external war.’
Barack Obama: "The fact that countries which rely on rabid nationalism and xenophobia and doctrines of religious or racial superiority as their main organizing principle … Eventually those countries find themselves consumed by civil or external war." (via CBS) pic.twitter.com/qxUCSLWwNA
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 17, 2018
While the U.S. is under cyberattack by a hostile foreign country that our current president has allowed free rein and only praise, Obama reminded all of us what is important to remember now.
‘Democracy depends on strong institutions. It’s about minority rights and checks and balances and freedom of speech…and a free press, and the right to protest and petition the government, and an independent judiciary, and everybody having to follow the law.’
Former Pres. Obama: "Democracy depends on strong institutions. It's about minority rights and checks and balances and freedom of speech…and a free press, and the right to protest and petition the government, and an independent judiciary, and everybody having to follow the law." pic.twitter.com/d3P7OUPlsn
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 17, 2018
He also offered hope in such dark and confusing times, something he has always done better than most presidents ever could.
‘It’s tempting right now to give in to cynicism. To believe that recent shifts in global politics are too powerful to push back. We have to resist that cynicism. Because we’ve been through darker times.’
"It's tempting right now to give in to cynicism. To believe that recent shifts in global politics are too powerful to push back," former President Obama said in his speech. "We have to resist that cynicism. Because we've been through darker times." https://t.co/LBTR5lnJmS
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) July 17, 2018
For the full speech, see video below:
Featured image screenshot via YouTube