President Donald Trump reacted to Michelle Obama’s speech criticizing him and his administration’s coronavirus response on Twitter.
He lashed out at the former first lady after she said that he is the wrong president for the country during her remarks at the virtual Democratic National Convention.
“Somebody please explain to @MichelleObama that Donald J. Trump would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren’t for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama,” Trump tweeted early Tuesday morning.
Trump tagged presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as an “afterthought” and said that former President Barack Obama gave a “very late & unenthusiastic endorsement” of his former vice president. Barack Obama expressed support for Biden, who served as his vice president for eight years, when Biden was chosen as the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee.
“My Administration and I built the greatest economy in history, of any country, turned it off, saved millions of lives, and now am building an even greater economy than it was before. Jobs are flowing, NASDAQ is already at a record high, the rest to follow,” Trump said on Twitter. He defended his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed over 170,000 Americans and ravaged the US economy.
“Sit back & watch!” he added.
Meanwhile, Trump described the Obama administration's response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic "weak and pathetic." He also pointed out that the previous administration was “the most corrupt in history,” making an unfounded accusation that Obama and Biden committed “treason” by “spying” on his 2016 campaign throughout the Russia investigation.
“Thanks for your very kind words Michelle!” Trump added in a mocking tone.
America's situation according to Obama
Obama, in her speech, described what she and her children see in America today and expressed her disappointment.
“They see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe,” said Obama. “They see an entitlement that says only certain people belong here, that greed is good, and winning is everything because as long as you come out on top, it doesn’t matter what happens to everyone else.”
“Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation,” she said. “That’s not just disappointing; it’s downright infuriating.”
Obama commended Biden for his empathy and fortitude. However, she admitted that he is not perfect. “Now, Joe is not perfect. And he’d be the first to tell you that. But there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president,” she said.
She also mentioned ongoing voter suppression tactics. “Right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. They’re closing down polling places in minority neighborhoods. They’re purging voter rolls. They’re sending people out to intimidate voters, and they’re lying about the security of our ballots,” she said.
“If we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history,” Obama said as she concluded her speech. “And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States.”
