Less than two weeks after leaving the White House, former US President, Barack Obama, spoke out on Monday against President Donald Trump’s efforts to seal the United States borders against people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, siding with protesters around the country outraged at his predecessor’s crackdown on immigration.
“President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country,” said Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for the former president, in a statement issued after a weekend of protests against Mr. Trump’s executive order.
“Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake.”
Mr. Obama, the statement added, “fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.”
Obama’s statement breaks an unwritten rule that former presidents refrain from criticising the current White House occupant.
