President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of becoming “behind” the protests that Republican members of Congress have encountered at town hall meetings across the country.
The allegation came throughout the president’s interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Good friends,” clips of which had been released Monday. Interviewer Brian Kilmeade 1st states that Obama’s “organization seems to be undertaking a lot of the organizing [of] some of the protests that a lot of these Republicans are seeing about the nation and against you.”
Trump is then asked, “Do you believe President Obama is behind it, and if he is, is that a violation of the so-called, unsaid, president’s code?
“No, I think he is behind it,” stated Trump. “I also assume it really is politics, that’s the way it is.”
The organization referred to is Organizing for Action, which describes itself on its web site as “a non-partisan, challenge advocacy organization committed to growing the grassroots movement by coaching, educating, and activating civically engaged neighborhood members across the country.”
The group was founded in the aftermath of Obama’s 2012 reelection and occupies the digital spaces after owned by the campaign. Its chairman is Jim Messina, who was Obama’s deputy chief of employees from 2009-2011.
The organization advocates for the positions held by the 44th president, but as a 501(c)(four) nonprofit, may not straight assistance political candidates.
“I assume that President Obama is almost certainly behind it because his people are definitely behind it,” Trump added. “In terms of him becoming behind issues, that’s politics and it will almost certainly continue.
Organizing for Action’s web page hyperlinks to the Town Hall Project, a separate, open-source group that compiles a list of events featuring lawmakers and encourages citizens to attend. The Town Hall Project’s list involves events with both Republican and Democratic legislators.
There is no evidence that the project has any direct connection with Obama.
Presidents traditionally abstain from direct comment on the actions of their successors. Following the 2016 election, Obama repeatedly mentioned he wished to aid in a smooth transition to the Trump administration.
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