Breaking silence, Obama speaks out on Trump immigrants order
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama praised protesters who amassed across the country in opposition to President Trump’s immigration orders, breaking his silence on political issues for the first time since leaving office.
Lewis, a former White House official, pointed out that Obama used his last official speech as president to talk about Americans’ responsibility to be “guardians of our democracy,” even in nonelection years.
“Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake,” Lewis said.
[...] he rejected comparisons between Trump’s recent actions and Obama’s foreign policy decisions.
Trump said he took cues from Obama by temporarily banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven countries that Obama’s administration identified as places of terrorism concern.
[...] Obama’s designation related strictly to eligibility to enter the U.S. without a visa; he never considered a travel ban.