President Donald Trump issued a response to former First Lady Michelle Obama's Monday address during the first night of the Democratic National Convention.
Obama closed out the first night of the DNC with an 18-minute speech in which she made a moral case against a second term for Trump. On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted that his administration's work with the economy spoke for itself.
"Somebody please explain to @MichelleObama that Donald J. Trump would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren't for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama," Trump tweeted. "Biden was merely an afterthought, a good reason for that very late & unenthusiastic endorsement. My Administration and I built the greatest economy in history, of any country, turned it off, saved millions of lives, and now am building an even greater economy than it was before. Jobs are flowing, NASDAQ is already at a record high, the rest to follow. Sit back & watch!"
Later, while signing a proclamation on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Trump told reporters that he thought Michelle Obama was "over her head" during the speech, and also slammed the former First Lady for not delivering her speech live.
He also claimed Obama's speech was "divisive."
....My Administration and I built the greatest economy in history, of any country, turned it off, saved millions of lives, and now am building an even greater economy than it was before. Jobs are flowing, NASDAQ is already at a record high, the rest to follow. Sit back & watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2020
Trump also claimed that Obama and Biden's response to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak as "weak and pathetic." More than 12,000 people died of the disease between April 2009 and April 2010; as of Monday, more than 170,000 people had died of COVID-19.
Looking back into history, the response by the ObamaBiden team to the H1N1 Swine Flu was considered a weak and pathetic one. Check out the polling, it’s really bad. The big difference is that they got a free pass from the Corrupt Fake News Media!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2020
Trump later called the Obama and Biden Administration the "most corrupt in history," citing the federal surveillance of his 2016 campaign team as law enforcement investigated his team's potential ties to Russia. No such ties to Russia were found.
The ObamaBiden Administration was the most corrupt in history, including the fact that they got caught SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, the biggest political scandal in the history of our Country. It’s called Treason, and more. Thanks for your very kind words Michelle!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2020
In her speech on Monday, Obama called Trump the "wrong president for America," citing his continued downplaying of the pandemic and his stoking of racial tensions in the country. She said Trump was "labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists." She also cited the administration's policy of separating children from their parents at the border and his decision to pepper-spray protesters near the White House for a photo-op.
Obama's speech closed out a Monday program centered around unity. Several Republican politicians, like former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, delivered speeches, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders — the leader of the progressive wing of the Democratic party.
