During President Obama’s eight years in the White House, the #blameobama and #thanksobama memes were big. People who hated the former president, used the former seriously and the latter sarcastically. Now President Donald Trump is taking the idea of #blameobama to a new level. Trump thinks some of the problems that plague his presidency are President Obama’s fault.
A composite image shows the inauguration crows for Barack Obama in 2009, left, and Donald Trump in 2017. Photograph by Emily Barnes—Getty Images; Lucas Jackson—Reuters
It is no secret that the first month of Trump’s White House tenure has not been a smooth ride. Nearly every week, there have been massive protests against his policies. The “Women’s March,” held the day after his inauguration drew many more people than his swearing in and was duplicated in cities and towns around the planet. People have taken to the streets to protest the president’s policies on immigration and health care. Town hall meetings with members of Congress have turned out thousands of angry constituents. This has led many on the right to say these people are nothing but “paid agitators.”
Before he blamed Obama, he blamed “liberal activists.”
Trump’s problems do not end with the protests. His White House has been one of the leakiest in recent memory. From details about phone calls he has made with foreign leaders to how dysfunctional the White House is, what happens in the Trump White House does not stay in the Trump White House. There are different theories as to why these leaks are happening but there is no question that they are happening.
Now, Trump says he knows who is behind the leaks and protests. He told Fox & Friends that people who worked for Obama and are still working in those positions are to blame for many of the problems he faces as president.
Trump said, “I think President Obama’s behind it, because his people are certainly behind it. And some of the leaks possibly come from that group. You know, some of the leaks, which are really very serious leaks, because they’re very bad in terms of national security, but I also understand that’s politics. And in terms of him being behind things, that’s politics, and it will probably continue.”
Leaks are widely thought to be a normal part of any administration. No matter who is behind them, no one expects them to stop any time soon.
