Just ten days after leaving office, former US President Barack Obama has been forced to come out of his vacation and weigh in on the Trump Presidency.
Obama – who is enjoying some much needed family time – issued a statement through his spokesman Kevin Lewis.
It is rare for a former president to criticize his successor – publicly at least – especially just a few days after handing over the reins.
The statement weighed in on the current unrest across the United States – a result of President Donald Trump’s latest Executive order placing a travel ban into the US on certain nationalities.
President Trump’s restriction on travelers from seven nations has caused a stir across the US.
This forced Obama to come out in a very clear statement. And judging by its contents there is no doubt where he stands:
“The President fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion…”
“Citizens exercising their Constitutional rights to assemble, organise and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake.”
It is no secret that Trump’s first few days in office have been explosive – from the press conferences by his Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, to the firing of the former Attorney General Sally Yates, to the heated debate in the British House of Commons over his impending visit to the UK later this year.
One wonders whether there is a game plan in the Trump White House, at this stage or if he is simply “shooting from the hip”, until a clear path is defined.
The world is watching the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency very closely as it unfolds.