Published on Jun 29, 2016
President Obama addressed the Canadian parliament on June 29 2016. On a self-described "rant" about populism, but without mentioning Donald Trump by name, President Obama today submitted that the presumptive GOP presidential nominee’s rhetoric is not populism, but actually "nativism or xenophobia." “They don’t suddenly become a populist because they say something controversial in order to win votes," the president said, taking a moment of liberty at the North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa, Canada, after several questions at a news conference explored Trump’s campaign rhetoric. "That’s not the measure of populism. That’s nativism. Or xenophobia or worse. Or it’s just cynicism."
"I would just advise everybody to be careful about suddenly attributing to whoever pops up at a time of economic anxiety the label that they’re populist,” the president implored at the National Gallery of Canada. “Where have they been? Have they been on the front lines working on behalf of working people?”
Obama said people like Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has campaigned for social opportunity, “deserve the title,” while someone who has never shown the same regard for workers, social issues and making sure poor kids have a shot at life does not meet the standard.
"Let’s just be clear that somebody who labels ‘us versus them’ or engages in rhetoric about how we're going to look after ourselves and take it to the other guy; that's not the definition of populism. Sorry,” Obama deadpanned.
The president then jokingly apologized for his "rant."
"This is one of the prerogatives of when you're at the end of your term,” he said. “You go on these occasional rants."
