Barack Obama is no fan of Donald Trump.
But politics used to stop at the water’s edge.
However, Obama just delivered a crazy speech in Italy to take a shot at Donald Trump – and everyone sat up and took notice.
Obama was speaking in Milan, Italy at a summit on food innovation.
He used the opportunity to take a veiled swipe at Trump.
He urged Italy’s citizens to participate in Democracy or else “get the politicians you deserve.”
Politico reported:
“Former President Barack Obama, speaking to an audience in Italy on Tuesday, urged citizens to participate in democracy and warned that “you get the politicians you deserve.”
“People have a tendency to blame politicians when things don’t work, but as I always tell people, you get the politicians you deserve,” Obama said, to loud applause. “And if you don’t vote and you don’t pay attention, you’ll get policies that don’t reflect your interest.”
Obama was speaking in Milan at a summit on food innovation. He has spoken broadly about the democratic process in a handful of public appearances since the end of his tenure, and he devoted his good-bye address in Chicago to democracy and urging Americans to engage in politics.”
While media outlets claim Obama has stopped himself from commenting on Trump in his public appearances, it’s impossible to read his remarks as anything other than urging left- leaning voters in other countries to turn-out or else end up with Trump-like politicians as their new leaders.
In the 2016 election, pundits said Clinton lost the election because of lower minority turnout in key states like Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as millennial voters turning to third party candidates.
So Obama’s warning comes as populism is on the rise in Italy.
Italy’s Five Star Movement – a populist party skeptical of the European Union – has gained strength over the past six months.
Their moment arrived when they opposed a referendum offered by the Prime Minister for constitutional reforms.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned when the referendum was defeated and now a new election must be held due to his resignation.
Critics read Obama’s remarks as a shot across the bow of globalist-minded voters in Italy to show up and vote.
This is just another instance of Obama meddling in foreign elections.
He endorsed Emmanuel Macron, the center-left candidate in the French Presidential election over populist Marine Le Pen.
And he will appear in public with the high priestess of globalism, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as she prepares for her re-election bid.
All of these moves are designed to promote leaders who share Obama’s views on open borders, foreign intervention, and international trade deals.
And by endorsing – and interfering in foreign elections – Obama is acting to box Trump in on the world stage.
The more establishment-aligned leaders there are, the harder it will be for Trump to dig the U.S. out of the global commitments established under previous administrations.
Obama’s bizarre speech in Italy was an attack on both the norms of American politics and the ability of foreign nations to conduct their own elections.
But will it succeed?
Not all of Obama’s election meddling has paid off.
He famously advised the British people to reject “Brexit” and warned that the United Kingdom would end up at the back of the queue for trade deals if they supported a referendum to leave the European Union.
The “Leave” campaign emerged victorious and pundits blamed Obama for stoking the anger of the EU’s opponents.
But as Obama’s speech in Italy demonstrated, he will not give up on trying to undermine Trump and help shape the future of international politics.
