CNN’s Abby Phillip: Why Do Conservatives Consider Obama To Be Divisive? “Is It Because He Told People He Was Black?”
CNN host Abby Phillip on Thursday responded to claims that former President Obama was divisive, asking why conservatives feel that way. Phillip also discussed with her panelists the idea that Obama “apologized for America” during his presidency.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN: Let me let Lydia respond to that, because I hear you saying, first of all, you’re accusing Obama of personally doing something. His administration. We know that what you’re talking about at the IRS was the responsibility of individuals within the IRS who were held responsible for that. That had nothing to do with Obama. Nobody has provided proof that came from the White House or from the President’s office. The second thing that you mentioned, which is basically abortion policy, I take it that is your view of how that policy should operate in this country, but you have to understand that another half of the country believes the opposite of what you believe. So when you talk about divisiveness, Barack Obama was smeared as not being a legitimate President because Trump was lying that he was not a native-born American citizen. And then he welcomed that same man into the White House. Their wives sat down and had tea. So what else? LYDIA MOYNIHAN, NEW YORK POST: I think he’s incredibly classy. PHILLIP: It’s a legitimate question. What else? Why is Obama considered by a lot of conservatives, and maybe you’re one of them, to be so incredibly divisive? Is it because he told people he was black? MOYNIHAN: No, I think he’s incredibly classy. He’s a very eloquent speaker, I think there’s a lot of things to credit him for. I will credit him for this as well. He said that he thinks America is great today, I think he said the U.S. is an undeniable force for good in the world. And I was glad to hear him say that because when he was in office, he would go on these sort of tweets essentially apologizing for America. PHILLIP: Hold on a second. MOYNIHAN: Thirty-six percent of whom are not proud — PHILLIP: Last year, Donald Trump went to the Middle East, and he said that America’s past policies of regime change in that region had been a failure, and that we were trying to basically overtake these great societies. He was literally, when you guys accused Obama of doing, Trump went to the Middle East and said that we’ve been trying to change your societies and we have failed, and we’ve been trying to export our way of doing things on you. He said that last year. So I am not understanding this, or at least I want to see more evidence. I would like to see more evidence. That’s all I would like to see. MARC LOPRESTI: In that respect, circumstances changed a bit. Iran advanced their nuclear program much more rapidly than expected. There were changes in the shifting sands. PHILLIP: That’s not even what I’m talking about. What Trump was talking about was the U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. LOPRESTI: I know what you’re talking about. PHILLIP: And beyond. It was a very broad statement. She just said Obama was apologizing for the United States around the world. Where’s the evidence? That’s all I’m asking. LOPRESTI: I think we’re missing the point of what President Obama was trying to say during the speech. This was not an anti-Trump speech.
