Former President Barack Obama stated that “racism” and “mommy issues,” along with other factors, are hindering the nation’s progress on critical issues such as education and climate change.
Speaking at the Obama Foundation Summit on Monday night, Obama noted that solutions already exist for many of the challenges facing the U.S. and the world. However, he argued that meaningful progress is stalled “because we are still confused, blind, shrouded with hate, anger, racism, [and] mommy issues.”
The audience laughed in response to Obama’s remark, which came as he explained why he believes more action has not been taken to address climate change.
“We are fraught with stuff, and so if that is the case, then the single most important thing we have to invest in is … people,” Obama continued. “We have got to get people to figure out how they work together in a cooperative, thoughtful, constructive way.”
The former president emphasized that people “literally can remake the world right now,” adding that the world “badly needs remaking.”
Obama Avoids Direct Mention of Trump
Obama did not mention President Donald Trump by name in his remarks. However, ahead of the midterm elections, he took the rare step of actively campaigning against Trump and the Republican Party—though he has generally avoided referencing Trump directly.
Meanwhile, Trump—who previously led the birther conspiracy against Obama during his presidency—has continued to use Obama as a political target while in office.
About the Author
Allan Smith – Political reporter for NBC News.