Obama: Trump Doesn’t Care About Working People

It is no secret that President Barack Obama is not a fan of Donald Trump. On June 29, the president amped up his rhetoric against Trump, blasting him and his supporters for the notion that the presumptive Republican nominee is a populist and saying that he advocates “nativism” and “xenophobia.” “I’m not prepared to concede the notion that some of the rhetoric that’s been popping up is populist,”

Obama said at a trilateral press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, reports CBS News. Obama, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, did not mention Trump by name but instead spoke of the 2016 American presidential election in broader terms, referring instead to someone “who has never shown any regard for workers, who has never fought on behalf of any social justice issues” and who has opposed those who seek to create economic opportunities for others.

“They don’t suddenly become a populist because they say something controversial in order to win votes,” Obama continue. “That’s not the measure of populism; that’s nativism or xenophobia…or it’s just cynicism.”

The president went on to say that he cares deeply about his country and has always fought to ensure that all children have the opportunities that were afforded to him as a child, adding that he will continue to work towards this when he leaves the White House, which he said likely makes him a “populist.” By contrast, “somebody who labels us versus them or engages in rhetoric about how we’re going to look after ourselves and take it to the other guy” is far removed from “the definition of populism,” he explained.

He also blasted Trump for exploring the idea of exiting trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), saying that it is “not feasible” to focus “solely on your local market.” Pena Nieto also commented on Trump’s trade plans and said at the conference that Mexico’s Senate is currently working to approve the TPP, notes the Hill. “Isolationism is not the answer,” the Mexican president said.

“We have decided to be closer, to work as a team and to complement each one and make progress together as the most competitive region in the world.” Sources: CBS News, The Hill / Photo Credit: White House/Instagram