Former President Barack Obama (D) is speaking out after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told him to keep “his mouth shut” concerning President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response efforts.
Obama issued a tweet calling for “better policy decisions” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Despite all the time that’s been lost, we can still make real progress against the virus, protect people from the economic fallout, and more safely approach something closer to normal if we start making better policy decisions now,” Obama wrote.
Despite all the time that’s been lost, we can still make real progress against the virus, protect people from the economic fallout, and more safely approach something closer to normal if we start making better policy decisions now.https://t.co/pfokyI8GiB
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 13, 2020
Shortly after it was revealed Obama felt Trump’s response to the outbreak has been “anemic,” “spotty,” and an “absolute chaotic disaster,” McConnell expressed Obama “should’ve kept his mouth shut,” as IJR previously reported.
McConnell called it “classless” for the former president to critique the current administration.
Larry Kudlow, the head of the National Economic Council, also weighed in on Obama’s comments.
He said he did not “understand” what Obama was talking about and how Obama’s comments sounded “so darn political.”
McConnell drew criticism for his comments, including from the former chair of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele.
“I’m sure Mitch is aware that a grown a** black man who happens to be a former president has agency to speak his mind on how his successor is managing this crisis, especially since his successor has yet to keep ‘his mouth shut’ about him. And ‘classless’?” Steele wrote.
I'm sure Mitch is aware that a grown ass black man who happens to be a former president has agency to speak his mind on how his successor is managing this crisis, especially since his successor has yet to keep "his mouth shut" about him.
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) May 12, 2020
And "classless"?https://t.co/kx6yyH8n4k
Trump has appeared to place blame on the Obama administration for issues with coronavirus testing in the past, as IJR previously reported.
More recently, Trump accused Obama of trying to damage his presidency, referring to his complaint as “Obamagate.” It has not been made clear as to what Trump is accusing Obama of doing.
Obama has previously criticized the Trump administration’s role in combating the coronavirus.
He claimed there is a lack of a “coherent national plan.”
