President Trump tweeted about former President Barack Obama Tuesday morning, using quotes from the hosts of “Fox & Friends” to respond to what was perceived by some as Obama’s rebuke of Trump.
Trump first tweeted a sentiment attributed to host Brian Kilmeade: “‘Did George Bush ever condemn President Obama after Sandy Hook. President Obama had 32 mass shootings during his reign. Not many people said Obama is out of Control. Mass shootings were happening before the President even thought about running for Pres.’”
Another was attributed to host Ainsley Earhardt: “‘It’s political season and the election is around the corner. They want to continue to push that racist narrative.’”
“And I am the least racist person. Black, Hispanic and Asian Unemployment is the lowest (BEST) in the history of the United States!,” Trump added, in his own words.
After Trump addressed the nation on Monday regarding the weekend’s two mass shootings and called them “domestic terrorism,” Obama tweeted his own statement, that included: “We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don’t look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people.”
Obama didn’t mention the president by name, but given that just prior to the massacre in El Paso, Texas, a post appeared on 8chan with a four-page anti-immigrant message claiming to be from the shooter, NBC News called Obama’s statement a “veiled shot” at Trump. Prominent Trump critics and Democratic supporters such as Scott Dworkin, replied to the tweet and directly identified it as a call-out of the current commander-in-chief.
On Monday’s “Fox & Friends,” there was also discussion of Trump’s response to the shootings. During the 7 a.m. ET hour, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway appeared on the show and criticized politicization of the shootings, before she adding that it didn’t surprise her that Obama had weighed in.
“Again, nobody blames him for Newtown, Connecticut, and he had his opportunity to go and try to heal the nation,” she said.
“And they should not,” interjected host Steve Doocy. “And nobody should,” Conway agreed.