Al-Okaz, Saudi Arabia, September 10
Whether we agree with U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies or not, it remains clear beyond any doubt that the vehement attacks directed at the American president are simply unparalleled by those faced by any other administration in the past. Ever since his first day on the campaign trial, Trump has been targeted by the liberal media and framed as the so-called enemy of the people. With the mid-term elections coming up, these orchestrated attacks have escalated even further. They now take shape in books and memoirs published by White House officials who proudly worked for Trump until only recently, describing their former boss as a shameful and mentally unstable leader. They manifest themselves in anonymous op-eds written by members of the current administration accusing Trump of being an incompetent and inept leader. Finally, they consist of public speeches that seek to galvanize the masses against the Republican Party. One of this speeches was given by none other than former president Barack Obama—perhaps the biggest mouthpiece of the American Left—who urged Americans to push Republicans out of Congress in the upcoming elections. Obama warned against Trump’s so-called “politics of fear and hatred.” He urged people to replace the current president. Seemingly, there is nothing wrong with a former president sharing his political views in public. Yet Obama paved a direct path for Trump into office. It was Barack’s Obama’s foreign policy failures that pushed Americans to seek a leader who is more confrontational and protective of their interests. It was Obama’s embrace of Islamic fundamentalists that pushed people to call for tougher immigration policies. It was Obama’s weakness with Mexico and Europe that gave birth to the calls to renegotiate America’s deals with its international trade partners. Speaking to the public now, in the aftermath of the chaos that he, himself, created, Obama is no better than the president he so fervently attacks. Indeed, he provided the very conditions for the fall of the liberal Left in America. He might be an inspiring speaker, but his words are empty. – Mashry al-Zayidi