Former US President Barack Obama criticized the current US government, saying that they can’t cope with the crisis caused by the spread of a new type of coronavirus in the country. He said this during an appeal to graduates of colleges and universities.

“The most important thing is that this pandemic completely removed the curtain of delusion that many people in leadership positions supposedly understand what they are doing. A large number of them do not even try to pretend that they are responsible for something, ”Obama said in his online address.

Despite the fact that the former head of the White House in his address did not mention Trump by name, Western media regarded this statement as a direct criticism of the current president before the upcoming 2020 elections. That is how the statement of Barack Obama was presented to its readers and viewers by The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, CNN and several other media.

Recall that according to Johns Hopkins University, which maintains statistics on the incidence of COVID-19 in the United States, more than 1.4 million cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in the country. More than 89 thousand people have died.

Earlier, American doctors in a series of interviews with the RT channel drew attention to the high mortality rate of patients with COVID-19, the lack of personal protective equipment for health workers and test systems for patients.

The pandemic has seriously affected the American economy. In early May, US unemployment reached its highest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s, amounting to 14.7%. In some cities in the United States, protests were held demanding the removal of restrictive measures to restore the economy.

Political silence

After resigning as president in 2017, Barack Obama avoided open criticism of Donald Trump. Also, the 44th president of the United States avoided any participation in the political activities of the Democratic Party.

However, the situation changed after Obama's closest associate, former vice president Joe Biden, became the presidential candidate. The ex-head of the White House publicly supported his nomination on April 14, urging Americans to vote for Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

However, then many media and experts noted that the former president supported the comrade only after all his rivals left the race, including Senator Bernie Sanders, who was popular among young people.

  • Barack Obama and Joe Biden
  • Reuters
  • © Kevin Lamarque

Soon after, the American media began to circulate Obama's criticisms of the Trump administration. So, on May 9, The New York Times published the contents of the appeal of the former US president during a video conference to his supporters who worked for him or participated in his election campaigns.

In it, Obama criticized the Trump administration and the US Department of Justice for the decision to end the criminal prosecution against General Michael Flynn, which was launched back in 2017 as part of an investigation by the Muller commission on Donald Trump’s "ties" with Russia.

Obama said such actions undermine the rule of law in America, and added that this emphasizes the need to vote for Biden in the 2020 elections. Also, in a conversation with supporters, Obama called the US government’s measures against the coronavirus “an absolutely chaotic disaster.”

According to Vladimir Vasilyev, chief researcher at the U.S. and Canada Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the ex-president has intensified criticism of Donald Trump and support for Joe Biden, realizing that his comrade-in-arms is a weak figure who will be run by representatives of the democratic establishment.

“Obama would like to surround Biden, who is not independent, with his people - in particular, ex-national security adviser Susan Rice or his wife Michelle Obama and lead the country from behind the scenes,” the political scientist suggested.

In addition, Vladimir Vasiliev recalled that Trump began to promote the idea of ​​“Obamageit” - the alleged personal participation of Barack Obama in the prosecution of Trump's supporters as part of an investigation into his “ties” with Russia. The current owner of the White House wrote about this on his Twitter on May 11.

“If Trump begins to unleash this scandal with Obama, he will not only be able to inflict a rather serious blow on Biden and his electoral base, but will also hinder the political return of the former president and his team to the White House,” the expert explained.

Counter attack

The accusations of Barack Obama against the current US government caused outrage among the supporters of the current head of state. Leader of the Republican Senate Mitch McConnell criticized the ex-president after publishing the contents of his communication with associates. During an online conference in support of Donald Trump’s re-election, the Senator said Obama’s behavior was unworthy of a politician of his level.

  • US President Donald Trump
  • Reuters
  • © Kevin Lamarque

“I believe that President Obama should not have taken his mouth off. We know that he does not like much of what the current administration is doing. This can be understood. But I believe that criticizing the administration that replaced yours is a bit low. You had a chance. You have been president for eight years, ”McConnell quotes The Hill.

Obama criticized the White House as well. Administration spokeswoman Kaylee Mackenani, in a statement to CNN, emphasized that President Trump is taking unprecedented measures to combat coronavirus and save Americans.

Obama has become more active in making political statements and criticizing Trump, as the election campaign in the United States is nearing its end, says Yuri Rogulev, director of the Roosevelt US Studies Foundation at Moscow State University.

“Obama has always believed that his administration is a kind of ideal, because there was not a single scandal, exposure, major mistakes. Now he seeks to strengthen the position of his party, ”said the political scientist.

However, Obama’s criticism will not affect Trump’s reputation, as he’s unlikely to convince Republicans or people who support the current US president, Yuri Rogulev added.

“For many years, Democrats have not been able to formulate their own program, and only act by criticizing the actions of the Republicans. Most likely, criticism of the Trump administration, which is a standard element of the political struggle, will become the basis for the electoral platform of the Democrats this time, ”the expert concluded.