Former US President Barack Obama has written a letter to the American people about the country’s current political state. Prompted by an overwhelming number of letters from the public expressing concern over the political climate, Obama addressed the issue at hand.
Maintaining the hopeful rhetoric that dominated his Presidency, Obama said: “Our country’s progress has never followed a straight line – for every two steps forward, it often feels like we take one step back,” The Independent reports. Encouraging resilience, he added that “I hope you’ll remember that the long sweep of America is defined by forward motion, and the course we chart from here depends on no one person alone.”
Obama also called on people to create change through action, declaring that “our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted, and change only happens when people get involved.” He ended the letter on a positive note, stating that “as long as folks like you keep looking out for others and working to defend America’s promise, I’m confident our future will be bright.”
Obama has refrained from offering much input about political affairs since his term as President ended, unlike former Republican President George W. Bush, who criticised Trump publicly just last month.
While some have criticised Obama’s silence, his administration says they are glad he has remained out of the spotlight. One former staff member said Trump is “desperate for an opponent [and] would love nothing more than for the 2020 election to start today and no better opponent than the black, ‘Muslim,’ Obamacare president.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating has hit a historic low. A new poll revealed that the President’s rating is lower than any other President in 70 years, The Independent reports. Additionally, two-thirds of people feel Trump lacks “the kind of personality and temperament it takes to serve effectively as president”, says CNN. Additionally, the number of people who felt Trump would benefit the economy has dropped from 61% before his inauguration to 44% at present.
