Obama Criticizes 'Xenophobia' in Trump's Remarks

The President of the United States has once again criticized the potential Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential election, stating that his remarks are not an example of populism but rather stem from 'nativism,' 'xenophobia,' and 'worst of all; disbelief.' Barack Obama, on July 9, at the end of a press conference in Canada, without directly naming Donald Trump, said, 'Someone who has no respect for workers, has never fought for social justice, and has made no effort for poor children to have a decent life or health insurance' is not a 'populist.' It seems that Mr. Obama's reference to populism is more of a reference to a political doctrine that calls for establishing 'the will of the masses' against a small group of rulers. Although there have been various interpretations of populism in political science over the years and in different countries, in the United States, politicians like William Jennings Bryan, a member of the Democratic Party who was the party's nominee for president three times, are considered well-known 'populists.' He was inclined towards a policy of avoiding war during World War I, was a strong advocate for direct or populist democracy, and was a critic of banks. Obama added in his remarks that these types of politicians 'do not suddenly become populists by making sensational remarks to gain votes and win elections. This is not the criterion of populism. [Rather] this is nativism, xenophobia, or worse, this is merely a sign of disbelief.' This is not the first time the President of the United States has criticized Trump's remarks. On June 27, he stated that foreign leaders are rightly concerned about Donald Trump. Obama had accused Trump of being uninformed about world affairs. Following the remarks of the potential Republican nominee, who again called for a ban on Muslims after the shooting at a gay club in Orlando, Barack Obama reacted: 'This is not the America we want and does not reflect our democratic ideals. This (the proposed ban) will not make us more secure, but will create insecurity.' Donald Trump, having secured enough votes in the intra-party competitions in various states, is a potential nominee for the Republican Party in the U.S. presidential election. Besides the Muslim ban, his other statements have also been controversial, including building a wall on the Mexican border, implementing torture and waterboarding, or deporting all illegal immigrants. His potential rival in the upcoming competition is Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, whom Mr. Trump has accused of 'corruption' and 'lying.' Ms. Clinton has also responded that these verbal attacks are only because the Republican nominee has no answers to fundamental issues. The U.S. presidential election will be held in November. Barack Obama will remain in the White House until January of the following year.