(PatriotWise.com) — In an interview last week, former President Barack Obama discussed the federal indictment against Donald Trump and expressed his concern about the “anti-democratic sentiment” in the United States, the Daily Caller reported.
Obama appeared on the CNN special “Obama & Amanpour: Will Democracy Win?” with host Christiane Amanpour last Thursday.
Amanpour brought up the Justice Department indicted Donald Trump on 37 counts related to his taking classified documents when he left office and asked him what it would mean to the rest of the “democratic world” that Trump can still run for the highest office in the country despite facing a federal indictment.
Calling Trump’s indictment “less than ideal,” Obama argued that it shows the world that in America, “nobody is above the law.”
Obama said Trump’s fate is now in the hands of the court and told Amanpour that what concerns him more is the ” anti-democratic sentiment” in the United States today.
As examples of the “anti-democratic sentiment” concerning him, Obama cited “gerrymandering of districts,” attempting to “silence critics through changes” in the “legislative process,” and the “attempts to intimidate the press.”
Obama claimed that such “anti-democratic sentiment” has become “most prominent” within the Republican Party, but added that it isn’t necessarily “unique” to one political party.
The former president claimed that when he was in office, both political parties agreed with ideals like a “free and open exchange of ideas” and were willing to abide by the same “rules of the game” even if the outcome may not be something one side likes.
He said after he left office, these ideals were “weakened” and suggested that they must be strengthened again.
Obama was also asked about President Biden’s comment last week calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a “dictator.” The comment prompted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning to describe it as a “blatant political provocation.”
Obama told Amanpour that it was “complicated,” explaining that the president has to do business with the Chinese since they are important both for “national security reasons” and “a range of economic interests.”
Copyright 2023, PatriotWise.com
