President Obama blamed Republican and Conservative opposition to his liberal agenda for the rise of Donald Trump, suggesting that a more serious party wouldn’t have the problems that the Washington establishment is facing with the rise of the controversial billionaire.
He described the current situation with Donald Trump leading the polls as a Republican “crackup” and “circus.”
“Objectively its fair to say that the republican political elites and many of the information outlets, social media, news outlets, talk radio, television stations, have been feeding the Republican base for the last seven years a notion that everything I do is to be opposed,” Obama said during a press conference today at the White House with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He suggested that the media drove a wedge in today’s politics that there was a “them vs. us” mentality, citing the controversy over his birth certificate as an example. He also defied the notion that he deserved blamed for the rise of Donald Trump because of his unwillingness to compromise and work with the other party, calling the idea “novel.”
Obama said that the efforts from Republicans and conservatives to oppose him had “creating an environment where somebody like a Donald Trump can thrive.”
“He’s just doing more of what has been done for the last seven and a half years,” he said.
Obama said there wasn’t a “massive difference” between Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, or Marco Rubio on immigration — only that Trump was the more controversial of the three.
He indicated that he welcomed a “serious” Republican party that was willing to work with him on important issues facing the country.
“There are thoughtful conservatives who are troubled by this, who are troubled by the direction of their party,” Obama said, encouraging them to reexamine the hateful politics that they participated in to get political party.
“I want a serious and effective Republican party, in part to challenge some of the blind spots and dogmas in the Democratic party,” he said. “I think that’s useful.”
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