Former President Barack Obama launched his return to the campaign trail Friday with a fiery speech accusing President Trump and the GOP of fueling "division and resentment" -- but the sitting president responded with a yawn.
"I'm sorry, I watched but I fell asleep," Trump teased, speaking at a political rally minutes later for GOP Senate candidate Kevin Cramer in Fargo, North Dakota.
"I found he's very good for sleeping."
At a rally later in the day in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for gubernatorial candidate Rep. Kristi Noem, he told supporters: "President Obama made a speech, now if that doesn't get you out to vote for the midterms, nothing will."
The back-and-forth between the sitting and former presidents sets the stage for a battle of the mega-surrogates heading into the November midterms. Trump has promised to ramp up his campaign appearances for GOP candidates and, with Obama flexing his political muscle once again, he will have a worthy competitor.
Obama's campaign season debut launches his midterm effort to rally Democrats to the polls and end Republicans' grip on power in Congress. The former president warned Friday that the stakes are high and the consequences of staying on the sidelines “dire.”
Delivering some of his toughest broadsides against the GOP since leaving office – and referring to Trump by name, something he used to avoid – Obama said there are certain "powerful and privileged" people who want to "keep us angry."
“It did not start with Donald Trump,” Obama said. “He is a symptom, not the cause. He’s just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years.”
But speaking in Fargo, Trump dismissed Obama's speech and mocked his claim that Trump was taking credit for a booming economy that started during the prior administration.
"I think he was trying to take credit for this incredible thing happening to our country," he said. "I have to say to President Obama, it wasn't him, and if the Democrats got in with their agenda ... instead of having 4.2 [percent GDP growth] up, you have 4.2 down, you'd be in negative numbers."
He said that Obama had overseen the "weakest recovery in the history of our country."
"This is called not a recovery, but a rocket ship," he said in reference to the economy under his watch, as he touted his achievements. He also warned voters that Democrats "would destroy Medicare and destroy Social Security," two things he said that Republicans would protect.
"Isn't this more exciting than listening to President Obama?" he later asked his crowd.
The presidential sniping foreshadowed a fight that is likely to increasingly play out as both presidents rally their parties. Trump stopped in Montana Thursday night and will head to South Dakota after his appearance in Fargo.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...-fiery-speech-trump-counters-fell-asleep.html
I am sure THIS thread is going to be very popular....for many to poop on.