Former President Barack Obama ripped into President Donald Trump over the Republican’s recent complains about the media’s constant focus on the coronavirus crisis.
‘He’s jealous of COVID’s media coverage!’ Obama remarked to a crowd of 273 cars at a drive-in style event in Orlando, Florida Tuesday.
Trump made is clear he was watching Obama hammer him, sending out a tweet mocking the Democrat’s crowd size: ‘Now @Fox News is playing Obama’s no crowd, fake speech for Biden, a man he could barely endorse because he couldn’t believe he won,’ the president wrote.
President Barack Obama ripped into President Donald Trump during an Orlando, Florida campaign stop Tuesday saying he was ‘jealous of COVID’s media coverage’
President Donald Trump, captured as he left the White House Tuesday for several campaign rallies, indicated via tweet that he was watching President Barack Obama in real-time
Trump complained about Obama’s ‘fake’ speech and said the ex-Democratic president had ‘no crowd.’ He also took offense that Obama had said he didn’t pay his taxes
The president took particular offense to Obama saying he didn’t pay taxes.
‘Also, I PREPAID many Millions of Dollars in Taxes,’ Trump tweeted.
Obama kicked off his Orlando appearance telling Florida voters they had the opportunity to ‘bring home a World Series championship’ and win the election for the Democratic ticket, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
It would be nearly impossible for Trump to win the Electoral College without Florida, which he has made his official home, voting this past weekend using his Mar-a-Lago address.
As he did in Philadelphia and Miami, Obama took on Trump for being distracted and not focusing on the important stuff.
‘He was fussing about the crowd size of inauguation again. Saying his is bigger,’ Obama pointed out. ‘Who’s thinking about that right now?’
The ex-president rattled off the most recent COVID-19 numbers, which are rising, and scoffed at Trump for giving the media a hard time for pointing that out.
There were 273 cars filled with supporters gathered outside the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida to take in Obama’s speech Tuesday
Obama arrived wearing a VOTE mask and hammered Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic
Obama said Trump ‘turned the White House into a hot zone.’
‘And over the weekend his chief of staff, and I’m quoting here, I’m not making this up. His chief of staff on a news program said, ‘we’re not going to control the pandemic.’ Yes he did and yes we noticed,’ Obama said.
Obama seemed to bungle the name of Sen. Bill Nelson at first, calling him Ben. Ben Nelson is the ex-Nebraska governor.
Obama joked that Sen. Nelson had been wearing a mask.
Obama again hit Trump for saying ‘not much’ when asked if he’d change his response to the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Not much? Not much? Really? Not much? You can’t think of anything you might be doing differently,’ Obama said, pointing out how Trump had said ‘inject bleach’ during a White House press conference.
‘Think about how hard the tourism industry has been hit here in Orlando, here in Florida,’ Obama said, pointing out that the state had already ‘lost one spring training season.’
Obama characterized his vice president that would bring calm to the White House and get the coronavirus under control.
‘He’s not going to screw up testing, he’s not going to call scientists idiots, he’s not going to host superspreader events at the White House and then take it on a tour all over the country,’ Obama said.
Obama also talked about Trump’s boast that he’s the second best president for black America after Abraham Lincoln.
An audience member yelled a big ‘BOO’ at that.
And Obama mentioned comments made by Jared Kushner Monday on ‘Fox & Friends,’ that had been met with immediate criticism.
‘His son-in-law says black folks have to want to be successful,’ Obama said. ‘That’s the problem. Who are these folks? What history books do they read? Who do they talk to?’
Obama also knocked Trump and the Republicans for not rolling out a healthcare plan.
‘They always say it’s coming soon,’ he said. ‘You know where it is? Because I don’t.’
‘The reason they don’t have a plan is because a plan doesn’t exist.’
Obama pointed to Justice Amy Coney Barrett making it onto the Supreme Court.
She was sworn in at the White House late Monday night.
Obama suggested that should motivate Democrats to get to the polls. ‘Don’t boo – vote,’ he said, bringing back a previous cycle’s rally cry.
‘Our current president, he whines that “60 Minutes” is too tough. You think he’s gonna stand up to dictators? He thinks Lesley Stahl is a bully,’ Obama also said.
Obama said Trump has suggested that the leaders of China, North Korea and Russia want him in office.
In reality, Trump has said he needs to stay in office because he deal with tough guys like the leaders of that trio of countries better than Biden.
Obama said Trump has been giving them what they want.
‘Of course they want you to win. That’s not a good thing. You shouldn’t brag that some of our greatest adversaries want you in office,’ he said. ‘Why are you bragging about that? It doesn’t make any sense.’
Obama again mocked Trump for pushing conspiracy theories. ‘It’s not OK,’ he said.
‘Even Florida man wouldn’t be doing some of this stuff. Why would we accept it from president of the United States?’ Obama said.
He also told the crowd that something he misses during the COVID era on the campaign trail is not being able to interact with babies.
‘Look at that little bundle right there,’ he told an audience member, saying the little one probably had a ‘new baby smell.’
‘Congratulations,’ Obama said.
Obama name-dropped Spanish-American chef Jose Andres for the work he did helping Puerto Rico.
Several dozen Trump supporters had gathered outside the perimeter and trolled Obama and the Democrats through the ex-president’s appearance. Their chants of ‘four more years’ could be sporadically heard through Obama’s remarks, but were usually overtaken by supporters’ honks and beeps.
‘I love you Orlando, I love you Florida, honk if yo’ure fired up, honk if you’re ready to go,’ Obama said as he concluded his speech.