Obama spoke at the Capitol at a St. Patrick’s Day luncheon. We’ve heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, at Americans who don’t look like us or pray like us.
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President Barack Obama on Tuesday gave a biting critique of the Republican presidential race (and Donald Trump) on Tuesday, calling the campaign rhetoric “vulgar and dismissive”.
Obama scolded lawmakers for not taking a stronger stance against violence at Trump rallies as he said, ‘Too often we’ve accepted this as somehow the new normal’. “Or we can roundly reject it – whether we see it in the other party or, more importantly, when we see it in our own party”. “However offensive it may be-we live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold”, Mr. Obama continued.
The visit concludes tonight when Enda Kenny addresses politicians, members of the American Irish community and business leaders at a reception hosted by the Irish Ambassador to the US.
Obama used violent analogies in a campaign speech in 2008, and said of Republicans, “If they bring a knife to the fight we bring a gun…. We can condemn this race to the bottom or accept it as the way things are, and sink further”, President Obama said during the luncheon.
“It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America”.
Obama said he appreciated Ryan’s comments.
He says while some may bear more of the blame for the climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.
Dan Restrepo, who for six years was Obama’s top advisor on Latin America, said that “a president Trump would obviously have profoundly negative implications for relationships in the Americas”. Ryan said earlier Tuesday that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.
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Obama said, ‘I understand that feeling.
