7 times Obama hit Trump in speech

Former President Obama ripped President Trump on the economy and a laundry list of other issues during a fiery address on Friday.

Here are seven of the most prominent examples.

Taxes

The former president tore into Trump and the Republicans for offering tax cuts to wealthy Americans, while neglecting the impact that the reduced duties would have on the nation’s deficit.

{mosads}“With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, without any checks or balances whatsoever, they’ve provided another $1.5 trillion in tax cuts to people like me, who I promise don’t need it, and don’t even pretend to pay for them,” Obama said.

“It’s supposed to be the party supposedly of fiscal conservatism,” he continued. “Suddenly deficits do not matter.”

The “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” was signed into law in December and remains Trump’s most significant legislative accomplishment since taking office.

The president and congressional Republicans have argued that the measure simplifies the tax code and will spur economic growth. Opponents of the legislation, however, argue that it’s a massive windfall to corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

Obama also suggested Trump gets too much credit for the soaring economy and that not enough credit is given to his administration by Republicans. 

Charlottesville

Obama was biting in his criticism of Trump’s remarks following a violent neo-Nazi and white supremacist-led rally in Charlottesville, Va.

“We are Americans. We’re supposed to stand up to bullies, not follow them,” Obama said. “We’re supposed to stand up to discrimination and we’re sure as heck supposed to stand up clearly and unequivocally to Nazi sympathizers.”

“How hard can that be?” he asked. “Saying that Nazis are bad.”

One counterprotester was killed during the Charlottesville rally last year after a vehicle plowed through a crowd of demonstrators opposed to the white supremacist rally. Trump drew widespread criticism when he said that there were “very fine people on both sides” of the protests.

Obama said Friday that it was up to voters to hold racist groups accountable and ensure that they “don’t feel emboldened.”

“When you vote, you’ve got the power to make sure white nationalists don’t feel emboldened to march with their hoods on or hoods off in Charlottesville,” Obama said.

Politicizing the Department of Justice

Obama criticized Trump’s drumbeat of tweets attacking Attorney General Jeff Sessions and calling for his department to be used for political purposes.

“It should not be Democratic or Republican, it should not be a partisan issue, to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents,” Obama said.

“Or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from prosecution because an election happens to be coming up,” he added.

The second comment was a reference to Trump’s recent tweet blaming the Justice Department and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for indicting two Republicans, Reps. Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Chris Collins (N.Y.), because it would hurt GOP chances of keeping the seats.

“Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department,” Trump tweeted. “Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff.”

Trump has also urged investigations of his political opponents, including Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!” Trump tweeted last year.

Russia and Vladimir Putin

The former president launched an attack on what he described as Trump and the Republican Party’s softening position on Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, saying that the GOP had strayed from its long-established principles.

“They’re undermining our alliances, cozying up to Russia,” Obama said.

“What happened to the Republican Party? Its central organizing principle in foreign policy was the fight against communism and now they’re cozying up to the former head of the KGB, actively blocking legislation that would defend our elections from Russian attack. What happened?”

Trump has often spoken warmly of Moscow. He stirred controversy during a joint news conference with Putin in July when he appeared to question the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment that the Russian government meddled in the 2016 presidential election.

He later reversed course, however, saying that he misspoke. Still, he has routinely denigrated the ongoing special counsel investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

Paris climate agreement

Obama laced into Trump’s decision last year to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, reminding the crowd on Friday that the U.S. was alone in abandoning the pact.

“The only nation on Earth to pull out of the global climate agreement — it’s not North Korea, it’s not Syria, it’s not Russia or Saudi Arabia — it’s us,” Obama said. “The only country. There are a lot of countries in the world. We’re the only ones.”

Trump withdrew from the pact last year after railing against it frequently on the campaign trail. He had long complained that it held the U.S. to higher environmental standards than developing countries, such as India.

The Paris agreement sought to curb carbon emissions worldwide, but ultimately allowed each country to set its own goals for reducing such emissions. Obama said that Trump had “rejected science” and “rejected facts on things like climate change.”

Attacks on ObamaCare

Obama also spoke out in defense of his signature domestic achievement, which Trump has repeatedly attacked and sought to undermine.

“They’re sabotaging the Affordable Care Act,” Obama said.

That has been an attack line from Democrats trying to pin blame for premium increases on Republicans.

Obama also warned Trump and the GOP could try again next year to repeal the entire law.

“And if they’re still in power next fall you better believe they’re coming at it again,” he said. “They’ve said so.”

Indeed, Vice President Pence said last month that Republicans would try repeal again if they do well in the elections.

Puerto Rico

Obama gave a mention to the death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, a sometimes undercovered area where Trump has faced criticism for not being more active in the response and helping avert the deaths of thousands of people.

Obama made the remark in saying there is common ground between the parties.

“I know there are Republicans who believe government should only perform a few minimal functions, but that one of those functions should be making sure nearly 3,000 Americans don’t die in a hurricane and its aftermath,” Obama said.

A government analysis released last month found that the death toll from Hurricane Maria last year in Puerto Rico was 2,975 people, far higher than the initial estimate of 64 deaths.