- President Donald Trump on Friday said he fell asleep while watching a speech former President Barack Obama delivered to students in Illinois.
- “I’m sorry I watched it, but I fell asleep,” Trump said during a speech in North Dakota.
- Obama’s speech on Friday marked the first time he’s mentioned Trump by name in a public address since departing the White House.
President Donald Trump on Friday said he fell asleep while watching a speech former President Barack Obama delivered to students in Illinois.
“I’m sorry I watched it, but I fell asleep,” Trump said during a speech in North Dakota, claiming his predecessor is “very good” at putting people to sleep.
TRUMP quickly gets to criticizing OBAMA's speech: "I watched it, but I fell asleep. I found him very good — very good for sleeping. I think he was trying to take some credit, some credit for this incredible thing that's happening to our country." pic.twitter.com/FQkX467J0H
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 7, 2018
Obama ripped into Trump in his speech, directly mentioning his successor for the first time since he left the White House.
As he spoke to an audience of students at the University of Illinois, Obama described Trump as a "symptom, not the cause" of the divisive, bitter sentiments permeating US politics today.
"He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years," Obama said of Trump.
The former president characterized Trump as a bully and bashed him on everything from his response to Charlottesville to his attacks against the media.
Obama was also heavily critical of the Republican Party in general.
"The politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party," he said.
At one point during his speech, Obama took a jab at Trump's repetitive, misleading claims he's fostered the strongest economy in US history.
"When you hear about this economic miracle going on ... suddenly Republicans are saying, 'It's a miracle!' I have to remind them that those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015, 2016," Obama said.
Trump responded directly to this remark during his speech in North Dakota.
"I have to say this to President Obama, and it wasn't him, but it would have been the same thing. If the Democrats got in with their agenda in November of almost two years ago, instead of having 4.2 up, I believe honestly you would have 4.2 down," Trump said, referring to the percentage of second-quarter GDP growth.
