Obama says sending troops to Mexican border is Trump’s ‘political stunt’

Team Udayavani, Nov 3, 2018, 12:55 PM IST

Washington: Former US president Barack Obama has termed as “political stunt” his successor Donald Trump’s move of sending troops to the Mexican border where thousands of “impoverished refugees” are waiting to enter America, saying this is not patriotism.

Currently, an estimated 5,000-7,000 people from three Latin American countries –El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala — are marching towards the US through Mexico. Trump has deployed more than 5,000 military personnel on the border to stop them from entering.

“In 2018 suddenly, they are telling you that the biggest threat to America is some impoverished refugees a thousand miles away on foot, got their babies with them. Broke, got no money. This is terrible. And that’s not enough just to lie about it,” Obama said at an election rally in Georgia.

“Now they’re sending our brave troops — who, by the way, by law cannot enforce laws on domestic soil — they’re sending them down there for a political stunt when they could be with their families. The men and women of our military deserve better than that,” he said.

Without naming, Obama slammed the policies of his successor President Donald Trump. “That’s not patriotism,” he said. He said that there have been politicians who fudged on the truth and did not talk on the things they screwed up.

“They made promises that turned out to be harder than expected. They pumped up all the good things they did and didn’t talk about the things they screwed up. They tried to put a positive spin on things. That’s human nature by the way — it’s not just politicians. All of you all do it a little bit,” he said. Obama accused the Republican party of talking about an issue prior to the election and forgetting it immediately after the polls.

“What’s interesting is after the election they don’t talk about it anymore — I guess it just gets fixed. You never hear about it again. Remember in 2010 they said that Obamacare was setting up death panels to kill your grandma,” he said. In 2014, the Republicans said Ebola is coming to get the Americans. Right after the election suddenly they didn’t talk about Ebola anymore, Obama said.

“In 2016 –Hillary’s emails — this is terrible. This is violating American national security. You know they didn’t really believe it because if they did, they’d be concerned about our current president on his cell phone while the Chinese are listening and he’s leaving the phone in his golf cart. I didn’t even have a phone for eight years,” Obama said.

Obama alleged that the ruling Republicans are trying to distract the Americans and urged the Americans not to get deceived. “Don’t be bamboozled this time. Don’t be hoodwinked. Because while they are trying to distract you with all the stuff, they’re robbing you blind. They’ll say, look over there. Then I’ll give their tax cuts to their millionaire friends,” he said.

“And then they’ll let some big polluters poison our air and water. They will take your healthcare away while you’re not looking. They are like one of those times when door salesman comes to your door and says he’s going to sell you a security system and meanwhile his buddy is in the back stealing your stuff,” Obama said.

Obama said that the democracy cannot work when people just make stuff up and there’s no consequences. “Not only can democracy not function, societies can’t function. Marriages can’t function. Friendships can’t function. Businesses can’t function if when you say something it doesn’t mean anything. That is the moment that we are in in our country right now. And the only check on that kind of behaviour is you,” he said asking people to go out and vote.