President Obama did not mince words as he admonished those who continue to buy into and define Donald Trump's faux populism as populist. It was clear the President was referring to Trump even though he never used his name.
"If you would allow me," President Obama said. "I want to say one last thing because it has been a running thread in a bunch of questions. And that is this whole issue of populism. I am not prepared to concede the notion that some of the rhetoric that's been popping up is populist."
The President then went on to define and contrast populism and the faux populist. Obama made it clear that he considers himself a populist.
The President said that he would be doing more public service when no longer in and went into an entire monologue about caring for people and wanting everyone to get the opportunities afforded to him. Obama wanted to leave no doubt that Trump was no populist.
"Somebody else who has never shown any regards for workers -- has never fought on behalf of social justice issues," President Obama said. "Or making sure that poor kids are getting a decent shot at life, or have health care in fact worked against the economic opportunity for workers and ordinary people, they don't suddenly become a populist because they say something controversial in order to win votes. That's not the measure of populism. That is nativism or xenophobia or worse. Or it's just cynicism. I would just advise everybody to be careful of suddenly attributing to whoever pops up at a time of economic anxiety the label of that they are populist. Where have they been? Have they been on the front lines working on behalf of working people? Have they been carrying the laboring oar to open up opportunity for more people?"
The President then pointed out that Bernie Sanders was in fact, the populist. He said Bernie has been in the field fighting for the issues. He concluded that he took the prerogative of being a President at the end of his term to rant.
