In leaked call, Obama describes Trump handling of virus as chaotic

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during an Obama Foundation event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Barack Obama described President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as "chaotic" in a conference call with former members of his administration, a source said on Saturday.

 

Obama has largely kept out of the fray even as Trump has blamed him and his Democratic administration for a variety of problems related to having sufficient supplies to battle the pandemic that has killed more than 75,000 Americans.

 

But in his call on Friday with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration, Obama urged his supporters to get behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who is trying to unseat Trump in the Nov. 3 election.

 

The contents of the call were first reported by Yahoo News. A source familiar with the call confirmed them to Reuters.

 

Obama said the election "is so important because what we're going to be battling is not just a particular individual or a political party."

 

"What we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy -- that has become a stronger impulse in American life," he said.

 

He said this is one reason why "the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty."

 

"It would have been bad even with the best of governments. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset -- of 'what's in it for me' and 'to heck with everybody else' -- when that mindset is operationalized in our government," Obama said.

 

"That's why, I, by the way, am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden," he said.

 

Obama's office declined to comment.

 

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Trump's response to the coronavirus "has been unprecedented" and has saved American lives.

 

She harked back to the Ukraine inquiry launched by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives last year that led to House passage of articles of impeachment against Trump. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump early this year.

 

"While Democrats were pursuing a sham witch hunt against President Trump, President Trump was shutting down travel from China. While Democrats encouraged mass gatherings, President Trump was deploying PPE, ventilators, and testing across the country," she said.

 

National polls show a tight race between Trump and Biden with six months to go until the election. Biden leads in several battleground states.

 

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Chris Reese)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-10

 

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8 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Obama urged his supporters to get behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who is trying to unseat Trump in the Nov. 3 election.

Of course he is. Biden presumably knows all the things Obama does not wish to come out. Bernie might not be as "friendly" to Obama's legacy.

Obama is not wrong. Good on him for calling out the destructiveness of the trump administration attitudes and misleading statements / announcements. trump calling out the prosecutors of Flynn as 'traitors and human scum' must be among one of the worst statements ever made by a US president against his own citizens.

 

 

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Of course he is. Biden presumably knows all the things Obama does not wish to come out. Bernie might not be as "friendly" to Obama's legacy.

You know all of this how? You read some conspiracy theory on the internet or you were an insider in the administration? 

Obama, the master of understatement. 

Edited May 10, 20206 yr by pegman

Nostalgia for a real and legitimate president. 

Obama will campaign for Biden long and hard. 

He may well be the not so secret sauce to put Joe into the white house. 

I agree with pegman I admire his restraint but then he has class and acts and is presidential trumps pet ag letting a confessed purger off spells banana republic to me come on November enough of this chaos and corruption 

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Obama will campaign for Biden long and hard. 

He may well be the not so secret sauce to put Joe into the white house. 

 Joe's secret sauce has been causing enough problems already. 

 

 It is a disgrace that Obama can not be quiet and go away like the Bushes and other ex POTUS's did. Just no class whatsoever, either of them. Although I believe this turkey is starting to squawk due to his neck being on the chopping block as all the dreadful details of his illegal deep state spying and ginning up fallacious cases and investigations against Donald Trump. As any detective knows, the guilty party starts flapping when put under the spotlight. Exactly what we are witnessing now.

56 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Trump's response to the coronavirus "has been unprecedented" and has saved American lives.

Yes to first claim (it is hard to find a precedent for a more inept and at times truly bizarre response to a crisis than trumps). 
 

No to the second, far from it. 
 

Edited May 10, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 Joe's secret sauce has been causing enough problems already. 

 

 It is a disgrace that Obama can not be quiet and go away like the Bushes and other ex POTUS's did. Just no class whatsoever, either of them. Although I believe this turkey is starting to squawk due to his neck being on the chopping block as all the dreadful details of his illegal deep state spying and ginning up fallacious cases and investigations against Donald Trump. As any detective knows, the guilty party starts flapping when put under the spotlight. Exactly what we are witnessing now.

Oh boy lol you have me in stitches it just might be your donald and billey Barr behind bars lol just to funney 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

In leaked call, Obama describes Trump handling of virus as chaotic

 

In purposely leaked call, with a compliant media, and after years of political silence, Obama describes Trump as chaotic ????

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Of course he is. Biden presumably knows all the things Obama does not wish to come out. Bernie might not be as "friendly" to Obama's legacy.

"all the things Obama does not wish to come out"

 

So you just pull something out of your <deleted> and think someone will take it seriously?  Or are you claiming some sort of 'insider knowledge' about Obama?

 

I'll go out on a limb and guess you have absolutely zero knowledge about the Obama Administration. Zero.

 

 

Nice to hear from a true statesman. 

11 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

In purposely leaked call, with a compliant media, and after years of political silence, Obama describes Trump as chaotic ????

It's customary for ex-presidents to desist from criticizing sitting presidents at least outside of campaigning season. Obama has respectfully mostly followed that tradition. He avoids naming 45. Of course he knew that his comments would be leaked. But thats different than an open speech or tweet. Of course the media will report his comments. They are news. Obama will of course very openly campaign for Biden starting with the nominating convention. 

24 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

In purposely leaked call, with a compliant media, and after years of political silence, Obama describes Trump as chaotic ????

Yea I know President Obama was much to nice but then he’s presidential personally I wish he took the gloves off

Walker88 I wish I was half as articulate as you well said sir and true 

1 minute ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 

 

I've never seen a post floating so many bizarre conspiracy theories. Take a bow. It's quite an achievement.

Ah noooo we know whose gig that is.......

17 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Obama also understands rule of law, having attended Harvard Law School, being a Constitutional Scholar, and having been selected while a student for the Harvard Law Review.

Affirmative Action is a wonderful thing.

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 Joe's secret sauce has been causing enough problems already. 

 

 It is a disgrace that Obama can not be quiet and go away like the Bushes and other ex POTUS's did. Just no class whatsoever, either of them. Although I believe this turkey is starting to squawk due to his neck being on the chopping block as all the dreadful details of his illegal deep state spying and ginning up fallacious cases and investigations against Donald Trump. As any detective knows, the guilty party starts flapping when put under the spotlight. Exactly what we are witnessing now.

Quite a few sweeping statements there, and you know all this how? Talking about no class,he has a whole heap more than you based on your post.

2 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

None is a 'conspiracy theory'. ALL are facts.

Great so it should be easy to find and provide a direct quote from Trump telling people to "inject lysol".

 

I will not hold my breath.

13 minutes ago, phkauf said:

Affirmative Action is a wonderful thing.

I guess you're suggesting Obama got in because of Affirmative Action?  You would be incorrect in your assumption.

 

Of course anyone who listens to Obama speak for two minutes, and then 45 speak for 2 minutes, knows the former has an IQ that dwarfs the current POTUS.

 

NO PROFESSOR of Obama ever said 'he's the dumbest student I ever had in my class'. The self-described 'very stable genius' was given that title by a professor at UPenn, the school 45 transferred to after his father made a sizable donation.

21 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 

 

I've never seen a post floating so many bizarre conspiracy theories. Take a bow. It's quite an achievement.

I was wondering if you could possibly break down the listed conspiracies that you have noticed...so that you could educate us all, since it is such an achievement this post has warranted in your eyes. Obviously we need to all be enlightened so please...if you would be so kind.

24 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 

 

I've never seen a post floating so many bizarre conspiracy theories. Take a bow. It's quite an achievement.

..and of course you are an expert on conspiracy theories.. 

The man is obviously bored stiff looking for attention and it seem that writing his memoirs and his autobiography didn't take all that long with nothing much to write about...

Edited May 10, 20206 yr by ezzra

9 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Great so it should be easy to find and provide a direct quote from Trump telling people to "inject lysol".

 

I will not hold my breath.

Yes, though he used "disinfectant", not Lysol.

 

Sadly, Lysol had to issue a press release warning people not to inject its products. Maryland Republican Gov Hogan stated in a TV interview that Maryland's Poison Control Hotline had received hundreds of calls after 45's comments asking if it was safe to drink bleach or inject disinfectants.

 

Apparently you missed the video where 45 addresses his disinfectant comment toward Dr Birx and asks her to look into it, before stating "I'm not a doctor, but I have a really good one of these (pointing to his head).

Edited May 10, 20206 yr by Walker88
add

1 minute ago, Walker88 said:

Apparently you missed the video where 45 addresses his disinfectant comment toward Dr Birx and asks her to look into it, before stating "I'm not a doctor, but I have a really good one of these (pointing to his head)

 

Just look at Dr Birx face when he is making that statement.

 

Look like she is not sure if she's having a nightmare or this is reality

8 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

Just look at Dr Birx face when he is making that statement.

 

Look like she is not sure if she's having a nightmare or this is reality

I think she threw up a little bit in her mouth when he said that.

34 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

None is a 'conspiracy theory'. ALL are facts.

 

One of the benefits of having had two distinct careers is that one gains a lot of information that might be called 'insider info'.

 

 

Given his turbo Narcissism, I think it's fair to say if 45's business success was anything close to what he tries to claim, he would issue an Executive Order making his tax returns mandatory reading in all public schools in the US.

"What we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy -- that has become a stronger impulse in American life," he said.

 

Something that he and his administration did a whole lot of by dividing the country into a race issue which before his election it never was.  It is also what has driven folks to become less appreciative of the way laws work and entrenched a division between citizens and Law Enforcement/Emergency personnel.  

43 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

Just look at Dr Birx face when he is making that statement.

 

Look like she is not sure if she's having a nightmare or this is reality

and I suspect she was extremely embarrassed and was thinking 'where's the button to make this bad dream go away?' 

Edited May 10, 20206 yr by scorecard