You might hope that something as straightforward as the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks would prove an opportunity for Americans to come together across the board — but that’s not quite the case, after all. As President Donald Trump complained on Twitter about what he calls the “LameStream Media,” former President Barack Obama took to the same platform with a message of putting the memory of 9/11 to good use as an impetus for service. His message literally went up at apparently the same moment as Trump’s latest anti-media complaint — could the contrast be any more clear?
Alongside a link to a news story about volunteers contributing a day of community service on Ellis Island in honor of 9/11, Obama wrote:
‘As we remember those we lost on 9/11, we also remember the spirit of unity and togetherness that defined the weeks and months after. On this day of service, I’m reflecting on all those still working to embrace that spirit, today and every day.’
As we remember those we lost on 9/11, we also remember the spirit of unity and togetherness that defined the weeks and months after. On this day of service, I’m reflecting on all those still working to embrace that spirit, today and every day. https://t.co/y8x9PVcwDl
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 11, 2019
Despite his absence from the White House, he’s remained a popular public figure, and he’s kept his public profile going through means ranging from his family’s personal foundation’s work to a production company he helps lead alongside his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, that recently came out with a documentary for Netflix about job loss troubles in the wake of globalization in the Midwest.
It should essentially entirely go without saying that the spirit of “unity and togetherness” that he mentions is a hallmark of some of his own work, but to claim it’s in any way inherent in that of the guy — Trump — who defines himself through means like trying to wall off an entire country is outlandish, at best.
Again, literally at the same moment (about 8:19 A.M. Eastern U.S. time) that Obama put up his pro-community message, Trump whined on Twitter like it was just any other egomaniacal day:
‘If it weren’t for the never ending Fake News about me, and with all that I have done (more than any other President in the first 2 1/2 years!), I would be leading the “Partners” of the LameStream Media by 20 points. Sorry, but true!’
Check out Twitter’s response to Obama…
