Former US President Barack Obama reportedly told supporters last week that Donald Trump’s racist attacks still have the power to shock.
The New York Times reported that during a fundraiser held via Zoom, Obama criticised the president for using racist phrases such as “Chinese virus” and “kung flu” to describe the coronavirus.
Obama reportedly said:
“I don’t want a country in which the president of the United States is actively trying to promote anti-Asian sentiment and thinks it’s funny. I don’t want that. That still shocks and pisses me off.”
The Times cited a transcript of Obama’s comments provided by an unnamed participant at the invitation-only event.
Trump has repeatedly used the racist terms despite criticism, in one instance drawing big cheers from a campaign rally crowd.
Obama rarely spoke out publicly against Trump during the first three years of his presidency, but in recent months he’s become more engaged in election-year politics.
However, he has rarely used the president’s name even as he’s criticised the administration’s failed response to the coronavirus pandemic, praised Black Lives Matter protests and urged young people to vote.
Trump has been far more vocal on his predecessor, often blaming his problems as president on Obama. In April, Trump claimed the Obama administration left him “bad, broken tests” for the coronavirus despite the fact that the virus didn’t exist until last year.
Earlier this month, Trump even baselessly accused Obama of “treason.”