President Barack Obama said Thursday that Republican Donald Trump confirms his belief that Trump isn’t qualified to be president “every time he speaks”, adding that he was confident Americans would ultimately reject the brash billionaire on Election Day.
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Barack Obama defended his efforts to “rebalance” us foreign policy towards Asia on Thursday even as he wound up the final visit of his presidency to the region with the South China Sea dispute still smouldering.
Obama said during the heat of an election “outrageous becomes normalized and people start thinking we should begin grading on a curve”.
Throughout the campaign, Obama has repeatedly denounced Trump and deemed him “unfit” to serve as commander in chief, while arguing that his controversial positions and comments are a step beyond what Republican nominees have embraced in the past.
One of his first events when he returns is a solo campaign stop for Hillary Clinton, the second time he’s hit the campaign trail for the Democratic candidate.
President Barack Obama says he’s not ready to concede that the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will remain open when he leaves office. That deal is awaiting ratification in the U.S. Congress.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday told a group of young people gathered in Laos from across Southeast Asia that it is not enough to dream about their plans for the future, but that they have to “actually do the work”. Obama said he planned to do everything possible to persuade lawmakers to approve it before year’s end.
President Barack Obama is wrapping up his last trip in Southeast Asia as president by describing it as an opportunity to deepen connections with the world’s fastest-growing region and he hopes his successor will sustain America’s engagement. Asked to acknowledge he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his campaign promise to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, Obama pushed back.
The start of Obama’s trip was overshadowed by tense moments on the tarmac in Hangzhou when Chinese officials clashed with White House aides and appeared to have failed to secure a staircase for Obama’s plane. Ties turned frosty when new President Rodrigo Duterte insulted Obama on Monday, prompting the cancellation of a meeting between them.
“I have said before and I will say again failure to move ahead with TPP. will call into question America’s leadership”, Obama said in Laos. “I think it seems to be just a, you know, a habit, a way of speaking for him”.
In an upbeat town hall event with people involved in the US -sponsored Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, Obama said young people have historically been the key to progress and development.
On his last day in Asia, Obama met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose help Obama is seeking to galvanize further action on climate change, especially among developing countries.
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Besides the ASEAN members, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, India, Australia, New Zealand and the United States attended.
