Alwaght- US Present Donald Trump has pushed back at former president after Barack Obama implicitly urged Americans to “reject” any leader who used hate language, promoted terrorism and normalized racist sentiments, saying former President George W. Bush didn’t criticize Obama after the Sandy Hook massacre.
“Did George Bush ever condemn President Obama after Sandy Hook. President Obama had 32 mass shootings during his reign. Not many people said Obama is out of Control. Mass shootings were happening before the President even thought about running for Pres,” Mr. Trump tweeted, quoting Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.
Following Saturday's domestic terror attack in El Paso, Texas, Obama called on Americans to reject “any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred” .
Obama on Monday issued a lengthy statement urging Americans to reject leaders who feed "a climate of fear and hatred."
“We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred and normalizes racist sentiment," he said. "Leaders who demonize those who don't look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people."
In the implicit rebuke, Obama did not mention Trump by name as is customary among former presidents.
Obama's statement came as many Democratic lawmakers called for greater regulations surrounding gun purchases, accusing Trump of emboldening white nationalists through his racist statements.
The suspect in the El Paso attack posted a racist, anti-immigrant screed featuring language used by Trump shortly before the rampage, investigators say.
He refers to Hispanics coming to the US as an invasion, echoing Trump's immigration rhetoric.