The Choice Words Barack Obama Reportedly Used To Describe Trump
Former President Barack Obama rarely said anything particularly critical or derogatory of former President Donald Trump in the early days — publicly, at least. That apparently wasn't necessarily the case in more isolated settings. A new book by The Atlantic writer Edward-Isaac Dovere is revealing the juiciest details regarding how Obama really felt about Trump.
Dovere's book, titled "Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Donald Trump," was given a May 25 release date. However, some snippets regarding what's detailed inside emerged prior to the release. As The Guardian detailed, they received an advance copy and detailed how much more open and frank Obama was when talking to advisers and donors about Trump.
Some of the commentary dated back to Trump's first run in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. Other candid opinions emerged throughout Trump's presidency and as Trump ran for reelection against Obama's former vice president, Joe Biden. What was detailed in the book revealed a stark contrast between Obama's typical demeanor and his true feelings when he was feeling less guarded. Keep reading for the full scoop.
Obama didn't hold back in private
The Guardian details that Edward-Isaac Dovere's book quotes former President Barack Obama referring to former President Donald Trump as a "madman." Obama reportedly admitted he "didn't think it would be this bad," having Trump as president, even referring to him as "a racist, sexist pig."
Sometimes, Dovere wrote, Obama was even blunter. "Depending on the outrage of the day ... a passing 'that f***ing lunatic' with a shake of his head" came from Obama as he considered the new Trump situation. When Obama heard Trump was speaking to world leaders without American aides on the call, particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin, Obama referred to Trump as "That corrupt motherf***er."
According to Business Insider, Dovere also detailed Obama's commentary on the Tea Party movement. That comment came during a 2017 holiday party held in Chicago for the Obama Foundation. Toward the end of the evening, the former president's staff asked about Republican criticisms that Obama was "an anticapitalist." While Obama gave a lengthy answer, he added in his honest take on the Tea Party as well. At one point, he reportedly referenced to them as "racist motherf***ers."
Obama also sometimes sent emails to his aides with article links regarding Trump and his administration. Those emails would often include a line from Obama questioning, "Can you believe this?" Obama reportedly became even blunter regarding Trump toward the end of the 2020 election cycle, but these types of honest exclamations reveal how strongly he truly felt about his successor from the beginning.