Topline
Former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump’s “obsession” with him in a podcast episode released Wednesday, a rare rebuke amid broader criticism of the Trump administration ahead of midterm elections later this year.
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Key Facts
Obama, in an episode of the “All the Smoke” podcast released Wednesday, called Trump’s focus on him and his family an “obsession” and a “strange thing,” adding, “I obviously have a room in his head.”
Obama said “the last thing” he had time for as president “was worry about what somebody said, or what my predecessor did,” adding, “They’re gone, I’ve got work to do.”
The former president went on to say that Trump’s persistent criticism of him “shows me somebody who’s not focused on the American people and the job they’re supposed to do.”
crucial quote
“The idea that I’d be worrying about somebody who came before and me trying to measure like, ‘What’s he done today?’ [and] constantly worrying about that is a strange thing to me,” Obama said.
what else have the obamas said about trump?
At the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago earlier this month, former First Lady Michelle Obama drew cheers after alluding to her husband “winning a peace prize,” in an apparent jab at Trump. Trump, who repeatedly suggested he deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize last year, was gifted the medal by the winner, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. The former president also spoke and appeared to offer more criticisms without naming Trump, noting there would be “no kings or lords” ruling the U.S. while referring to “shared values that make democracy possible,” including “a belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in fair and free elections.” In an interview with NBC ahead of the center’s opening, Barack Obama suggested the U.S. may be “worse off” now than before Trump launched a war on Iran in February, saying, “We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, put enormous strain on our military,” and “a lot of people have died.”
key background
Trump has attacked Barack Obama several times in recent months, including in an AI-generated Truth Social post depicting the Obama Presidential Center as a trash can. In May, Trump labeled Barack Obama a “traitor” and called for him to be arrested while accusing the former president of plotting a coup. Republican leaders denounced Trump in February after the president posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social that featured Barack Obama and Michelle Obama portrayed as gorillas, which he later deleted. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
The White House has issued a response to claims that Donald Trump has been prescribed an experimental drug for weight loss.
Rumors had started to circulate online that Trump had been prescribed a drug being developed by Eli Lilly called retatrutide.
This has been touted as a more potent version of other GLP-1 drugs which acts as a ‘Triple-Agonist’, so whereas other GLP-1 drugs act only on one hormone, this one acts on three.
However, it is currently still in development by Eli Lilly, and is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, meaning that it is not currently publicly available or FDA approved at this stage.
Rumors began online following a report about a special access program where someone might be granted access to the drug on compassionate grounds.
STAT reported on June 23 that a 79-year-old man had a request made on his behalf in April, and the US Food and Drug Administration had approved the request.
The White House said that Trump was not taking the medication (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The ‘Expanded Access’ program was described as a ‘potential pathway for a patient with a serious or immediately life-threatening disease or condition to gain access to an investigational medical product (drug, biologic, or medical device) for treatment outside of clinical trials when no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy options are available’ on the FDA’s website.
The incident was spotted by reporter Lizzy Lawrence, who wrote on social media: “Sources told STAT that application drew interest from top health officials. Given the demographics and the peculiar nature of the application, I asked the WH if this patient was President Trump, who turned 80 a week ago. I did not get a direct answer.”
Now, the White House has refuted the claims directly in a scathing message directed towards Lawrence.
Reposting the message on social media, they wrote: “No, it wasn’t President Trump — and you people are truly sick and deranged.”
Trump undergoes regular medical exams (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Kush Desai, who is described in his his X profile as a ‘Special Assistant to the President & White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary’, also responded to the post on X, writing: “Because this has to be spelled out for @LizzyLaw_, who has proven herself to be an unserious gossip columnist, this application was not for the President.”
Trump undergoes regular medical examinations, which is standard practice for a sitting president.
Dr. Sean Barbabella is the White House physician, and wrote back in May: “President Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function.”
Dr Barbabella added: “Cognitive and physical performance are excellent. He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”
